Our History
by oceanpineapple21
Summary: As Fitz lies in a coma, Simmons tells Skye the complicated history of FitzSimmons. Only children when they met, they grew together, lives completely intertwined. This is a multiple chapter origins story. I hope to have put a different spin on the 'FitzSimmons academy days'. This is my first multichapter and my first Agents of SHIELD. Please Read and Review and enjoy
1. Chapter 1

**Author Note:**

** Hey guys! This is my first Agents of SHIELD/FitzSimmons story so please be kind :P I have had this idea for a while and have finally gotten around to writing it. The story starts in present day, but will flash back to academy days from next chapter. From there, the narrative will move along to the present day, documenting the history of our favourite duo. I love these two and am super excited for next season! Also this story hasnt been beta'd so any mistakes are my own. If you do pick up on anything or have any questions, feel free to PM me. Without further ado, on with the chapter...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Agents of Shield or any characters in the Marvel universe (I wish) **

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Jemma Simmons watched the clock. It had been 13 days, 7 hours and… 52,53,54 seconds since Leopold Fitz had pushed the button. 13 days, 7 hours and 54 seconds since he had intended to sacrifice his life for hers, since he had admitted that he saw her as more than a friend, since he had broken her heart. Jemma could still remember the look on his face, a mixture of sadness, relief and acceptance.

She could still feel the oxygen being knocked out of her like a thousand punches to the stomach. How she instinctively put the makeshift oxygen mask to her face and grabbed his collar.

The burning in her legs as she swam them both 90ft to the surface on _just one breath_.

Salty water burning her eyes as she searched for rescue…

"Simmons?" The one word shook her from the memory. Although Skye had tried to speak as gently as possible the sound still made Jemma flinch.

"I'm sorry- I didn't mean to scare you. Its just… I just… I wanted to see if you were okay," Skye was speaking to Jemma but couldn't take her eyes off of the seemingly lifeless figure in the centre of the room, a phenomenon Simmons had become all to familiar with. Everyone entered the room to speak with her but there was something about seeing a member of your team laying so still, attached to a million IVs and tubes and drips, that was captivating. Like a car crash, where you don't want to watch but simply cannot look away.

"Oh, its quite alright Skye, its my fault for being in such a daze. Its very sweet for you to come and check on me but really, I'm fine-"

"No!" Skye interrupted. "No I don't want to hear (Skye put on a terrible high pitched british accent) 'I'm quite dandy really, never been better- I'm swell. Just let me finish up in here and we'll all have some tea and crumpets and watch Harry Potter' its bullshit! you're so clearly _NOT_ fine. I know that you're worried about Fitz, believe me, we are all worried about him. It actually keeps me up at night think about that bastard Ward and you and Fitz at the bottom of the ocean. But we're worried about you too. You don't think we haven't noticed?! You never eat with us, you never seem to eat at all. Your eyes are always red rimmed like you've been crying all the time and I know, I KNOW that you don't sleep. its been two weeks Simmons. For God sake you look like a mess. I want to _HELP _you! We all want to help you, but we can't if you won't let us…"

"13 days" Jemma whispered

"What?"

"You said its been two weeks but its only been 13 days and 7 hours and 2 minutes and…"

Simmons was cut off by Skye enveloping her into a hug. It was the first human contact Jemma had had in a long time. She had withdrawn herself from the rest of the team, spending all day by Fitz's bedside, crying all night in her bunk. The truth was Jemma Simmons _was_ a mess. Reliving the pod and the moments straight after like she had just before Skye came in was a regular occurrence. She was literally unraveling from the inside out. Jemma wiped a few stray tears from her cheeks. It was surprising that they had even fallen as she thought she was all cried out. As her eyes locked with the taller brunettes she saw all of the emotion that she had been trying to convey through her rant, mostly genuine concern.

"Skye, I'm falling apart" Jemma said, breaking eye contact. Jemma liked to think that she was pretty in touch with her emotions, but the Shield training she had received over the years made her feel ashamed of being so vulnerable and weak.

"All I can think about is him not waking up and honestly it makes me feel sick" she gulped loudly and tried to swallow the fresh tears that threatened to fall.

"Simmons, you don't have to go through this alone. Please let me help you" Skye touched her arm and something in Simmons changed. Her eyes darkened slightly.

"I don't mean to be rude Skye, but how can you? The only person who understands me, who could get me through this, is Fitz and last time I checked he's in a coma. I have grown very close to you over these last few months but thats a drop in the ocean to what Fitz and I have. In the grand scheme of things you don't really know us at all…"

"Then tell me." Skye replied bluntly. It occurred to Jemma that the hacker was no going to let this go. Skye continued:

"I know that you are haunted by what happened in that pod. Stop bottling it up, a problem shared, right?" The look Skye gave the biochemist made her heart sink. She was pleading her to open up and something about it Jemma just couldn't deny. _It's not like it'll make it any worse,_ she thought.

So with a sigh, and once again breaking the gaze Jemma began.

"We screamed at Ward not to, but before we knew it the pod was ejected. The coward wouldn't even face us as we fell. I must've been knocked unconscious because I awoke to Fitz with his arm in a sling looking thoroughly disheartened. He told me that whilst I slept, he had tampered with some of the machinery to emit a distress signal but at a Shield frequency no one would pick up. he also told me our odds were bleak~

~ I know it sounds terribly nerdy but that discussion about the second law of thermodynamics really helped us come to terms with things. That is, until I noticed the glass~

~ So we had the rig set up to blow the glass. He had created an oxygen tank out of god knows what he had found in the supplied kit. He really is a genius, even if he knows it a bit too much" they both laughed but catching sight of him lying motionless the mood once again turned sombre.

"Thats when he told me: _one breath_. Only one of us could survive the pressure change and he'd already decided it would be me. I know it sounds crazy but even now makes me so angry. What gave him the right to make that decision alone? When I tried to tell him that he told me he couldn't live without me. I told him that he was my best friend and that I felt the same but he just shook his head. He said I was more than a friend to him and that as he hadn't had the courage to tell me he had to show me." As Simmons drew breath and looked up she saw tears fall down her new friend's cheeks.

"I pulled him in for a hug and he told me we didn't have much time. He gently pushed me away and then before I could react he hit that god damn button. What kills me the most is that everyone says I saved him, but it couldn't be more the other way around. _He _made the machine that forced a breath in my lungs. _He_ sacrificed his life by giving it to me. _He _set up the signal that allowed Director Fury to find us. All I did was selfishly take him with me, even though he had decided to die, even though the life I left him with might be worse than death."

The two brunettes sat in silence as the minutes roles by. Skye taking her time to process the deeply personal and tragic tale she had just been told and Simmons doing what she always did- watching the rise and fall of her partners chest to assure herself he was still alive.

"So I guess that confess only adds to the crap you're trying to process right now?" Skye finally broke the silence. She had been walking on eggshells the whole time Simmons had been recounting the event, not wanting to scare her back into her shell. To be honest the hacker was surprised she had finally been so open with everything. To be doubly honest her heart swooned a little when she heard of Fitz grand romantic gesture. Whilst tragic, Skye had always 'shipped' FitzSimmons and was happy to find out she had been right all along. That was the reason for her restarting conversation. She _had_ to know if Simmons felt the same way. The way she had been acting since they got back strongly suggested that she did, but Skye wanted to hear her say it. That way when Fitz woke up and things got back to normal, and she prayed (yes prayed, she guessed all the Catholic orphanages had influenced her a bit) that he would, she could play a little matchmaker. However, response Simmons gave, whilst confusing, was better than Skye could have ever imagined.

"You're right, that is something I'm trying, or rather not trying to deal with right now. Especially as it wasn't just a confession, it was a proposal." Jemma sighed and took Fitz's limp, calloused hand in small, dainty one. Skye's jaw dropped, making Jemma laugh despite everything.

"Wha… I… But… Proposal?! How did I miss that part of the story?" Skye spluttered, causing Simmons' laughing to reduce to a small, sad smile.

"I guess to you it may seem a little confusing but I assure you it makes perfect sense, only you have to know the full story."

"Full story?" The other girl asked, her brows knitted in confusion.

"Have I ever told you the story of how Fitz and I met, or rather how he met me?"

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**A.N. So there it is! The first of hopefully many chapters. Please leave me a review as I am new to this and would like to know your feedback. **

**Hope you enjoyed- you're all awesome :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author Note: Wow, thank you so much for the response for last chapter. This is a learning experience for me and it was so great to see favourites, follows and reviews. Especially big shout out to TheLateNightStoryteller and AmbivalentOxymoron for the reviews :D **

**This chapter is definitely darker. It was a difficult one for me to write thematically, but the darker tone will only last the next few chapters and then we're on to light(er) FitzSimmons stuff. **

**Warning: I didn't want to change the rating, but this chapter does contain some moderate language and includes the theme of suicide. Younger readers may want to stop here.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. or anything in the Marvel Universe.**

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September 24, 2008

_Why does this keep happening to me? _Fitz thought.

The 18 year old Scotsman ran across the central courtyard of the Shield Academy's 'cadet living village'. The reason why he was running was that he was the victim of _yet another _freshman prank- the third of this week. There was really no reason why it was always him, other than the fact he was the youngest, smartest, shortest… okay, there were plenty of reasons why it was him. _Hell, if I was one of those 8ft 10, 700 pounds of pure muscle operations goons, I would pick on me too! _

It would've also helped if Fitz had a possy to protect him, although to have a possy you need to have friends, or at least acquaintances and Fitz had neither. A combination of the aforementioned reasons and his slightly arrogant and 'prickly' (the word his mum had always 'affectionately' used to describe him) personality meant most people just ignored him and those who didn't, well… case in point.

"You _know_ you can't outrun us Fitzy, so why bother?!" one of the ogres pursuing him named Wilson jeered.

"Yeah buddy, you'll just tire out your little legs. Its always the same; you run, we chase you, we catch you. You know only psychopaths follow the same pattern every time…" Another 3rd year cadet, Aidan agreed. Fitz's blood began to boil. Firstly he hated the Americanisms he was using- 'buddy'_-_ _I'm not you're buddy you prick, I hate your guts_. Then to make fun of his height again. _For god sake I'm 5ft 7. Thats a perfectly acceptable height for a man. Besides, I may still have another growth spurt, _he thought bitterly.

"Why don't you piss off and leave me alone then you twats?!" Fitz yelled back, knowing it would make the situation worse not better.

"Leave you alone without testing out the 'itch bomb taser'? I don't think so dude"The last of his pursuers, Adams said with malice dripping from his voice. It was Adams who had singled out Fitz in the first place. He used to be top of his mechanical engineering class before the curly haired boy came and beat all his records in a third year class at _just 18 year old_.

Fitz knew that Adams was the brains behind the operation, Wilson and Aidan being only the brawn. He was the one who engineered the torture contraptions: the stink shower, the leaky bottles, the midnight monster, the whole bloody lot of them. Now Fitz would get to be the test subject for something called the 'itch bomb taser'. He didn't even know what that would be and he didn't want to find out. He quickened his pace and thanked God that the door to an adjacent dorm block was closing in front of him. _I can make it through but they won't,_ he thought. _That'll give me at least a minute more headstart before they get buzzed in._

As the door clicked shut behind him, he heard cursing and pounding of the other side. Knowing that his headstart was fleeting, Fitz tore up the stairwell. Taking in his surrounding as he ran, he quickly gathered that he was in block 32. _Another lucky break… _Fitz smiled. Block 32 was famed with having the 'pleasure toilets' on its top floor. This was an abandoned block of toilets that occupied a whole floor and was the location for late night rendezvous of many senior couples. However at 12.30pm on a Wednesday it would almost certainly be empty, and would offer up an adequate hiding place for Fitz.

Fitz opened up the door to 'pleasure toilets' and was met with an unpleasant smell. The walls were damp and the floor was slightly sticky. No cleaners bothered with this floor since its plumbing was rendered damaged beyond repair, so there was a general grim to the place. Fitz understood that the anti-fraternisation policy meant that many couples deemed it 'too risky' to meet up in their dorm rooms, for the fear of being ratted out by neighbours, but Fitz could not comprehend being so desperate as to come here for… well… you know. _Then again, I've never even kissed a girl so I guess I wouldn't know what that feels like. _Just as he was about to wallow in self-pity, he noticed the door to the end cubicle was locked.

"Is anybody in here?" Fitz asked cautiously, worried that this was all part of a more elaborate prank concocted by the terrible trio of his dorm mates.

"Hello?" Fitz asked again, a chill running down his spin that this wasn't part of the prank and something was wrong. When he again received no answer, he went against his better judgement and got to his knees on the filthy, tacky floor and looked under the door.

Something was wrong.

He saw feet clad in worn out pumps that were twisted in at inhuman angles to each other and a limp hand hanging beside then. The hand had nails painted with a plum coloured polish that were bitten to the bone. Fitz knocked on the door loudly but still got no response.

"Alright, I'm going to take off the lock to open the door so if your okay and this is some kind of joke just say something, yeah?" he said, panic evident in his voice. Still silence.

Quietly cursing to himself _shit, shit, shit… please don't be dead, _Fitz found a portable laser in his backpack. _Here goes nothing,_ he thought as he fired up the laser and carefully cut off the lock. As soon as the cut was complete the door flew open and the body tumbled forwards. Instinctively Fitz jumped down to grab its head before it smashed onto the tile floor. He then rolled it over and the sight was even more disturbing than he had imagined.

It was a girl. He could say girl as she looked young, maybe as young as he was. She was wearing faded navy pumps, a beige denim skirt and a white, very tight tank top. That all looked fine to him (better than fine, she was quite beautiful but he cursed himself for thinking that at such an inappropriate time.) It was everything else that unnerved him. Her skin, whilst clearly naturally fair, was white to the point of translucency. He could see blue veins on her arms, legs and chest like a sort of horrific tribal tattoo. Her lips were also almost white and they looked chapped and cracked, almost bleeding. There where tear stains down her cheeks (fresh, still wet, she might still be alive, he noted) and dark circles around her red rimmed eye as though she hadn't slept in days and had cried for several hours. Her eyes. They were what was the worst. _Why did they have to be open? _he thought, distraught. They were milky and faded. Irises yellow like the colour of a few grains of instant coffee in a whole cup of water.

Fitz tore his eyes away from the girl to survey the cubicle from which she had fallen. _Shit…_ he said to himself as he saw the packets of empty pills strewn across the floor, _she tried to top herself._

Suddenly the pounding of footsteps in the corridor shook him from his thoughts. Fitz had a small angel/devil on his shoulder moment: _they're twats, you said it yourself. Do you really think they'd help?! _ The devil rationalised. "_Of course they'll help, they may be 'twats' but they're not monsters. They swore the same oath to protect people you did" _The angel replied. As always, the angel won out. Besides Fitz suddenly had and overwhelming urge to save this girl, so he called out:

"Adams, Aidan, Wilson, is that you? You need to get in here right now!" The older boys were confused by him revealing his location so readily, but the figured he was finally steering into the skid so they entered the bathroom without hesitation. When the door opened Fitz heard one of them openly gasp whilst another turned away. Fitz had taken the girls pulse whilst waiting for the bullies to arrive so he knew that she was still alive- just. Now was not the time for squeamishness, it as the time for action and Fitz knew he had to take charge.

"Wilson go get help, Adams guard the door, Aidan you need to find something to cradle her head, I need to perform CPR," the older boys looked at him, unmoving. "NOW" Fitz yelled, snapping them into action. Whilst they were only cadets, they had all received some training on what do do in similar situations to this. Wilson and Adams ran out of the room to fulfil their purposes, while Aidan quickly found a towel and put it under her head. Fitz readied himself for CPR.

"Thanks, now could you go in that cubicle and pick up her things. Make sure you keep those tablet packets separate, we'll need to give them to the medic so they know how to treat her. Alright, I'm going to start now" Fitz wasn't sure if he was saying it to Aidan or the girl. Either way he interlocked his hands and began compressions. 1,2,3,4,5… he kept the steady rhythm until he reached number 30, then slowly he parted her lips and gave mouth to mouth.

This patten continued for a few minutes, but suddenly the girl spasmed. Her head flew back and her arms flailed to the side.

"Aidan! Help me hold her down!" Fitz screamed, although the older cadet was already by his side, pinning down her arms. A trickle of blood ran down from her nose and onto his sleeve.

"God damn it! Where's the sodding medic!" Fitz cursed. _Please don't die. Please don't die. God, if you're out there please don't let her die…_

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**A/N: Tense right? I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you did (or didn't) feel free to leave me a review as to why. I want to make this story the best it can be for you guys, so feedback is super helpful.**

**I'm going to try to get into the pattern of two updates a week, Monday and Thursday, so look out for it :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author Note: Here we are again- Chapter 3 is here! I am ecstatic with the response to this story. You guys are the best! *Gives everyone a hug* **

**More darkness ensues for this chapter but worry not, it gets lighter in tone after this. **

**Warnings again for themes of suicide and bullying.**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Marvel or S.H.I.E.L.D :P**

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August 31, 2008

Jemma Simmons blew out the candles on her 'Birthday Cake', which was really a piece of toast with Nutella and banana slices in the shape of the number 18. She wasn't even going to celebrate but her sisters (aged 6, twin 3 year olds and and 18 month old) had _insisted _that she have something, forcing their au pair to wake up at 3.30am to prepare it for her. The four girls and their nanny sang her happy birthday and told her to make a wish. _I wish my parents were here… _she thought bitterly. Then again, they miss everything: birthdays, her graduation, most christmases. With her mother being a hospital doctor trying to gain her paediatric fellowship and her father working mostly in France for a mobile phone company, their absence was something she had become familiar with. Like her four sisters, she had practically been raised by nannies and boarding schools, yet she loved her parents no less and would give anything to have their approve and time. She knew that they loved all of their daughters unconditionally and tried to give them everything. The only problem was they loved their work more, and for that Jemma resented them.

_Well that was a waste of a wish. _She thought. Could she do over? It was her 18th birthday, she was about to leave the country on her own and she was celebrating with a lone piece of toast in the middle of the night. _I DESERVE a do over… I wish that my time at the SHIELD_ _academy will be better. Better that high school, better than uni. I wish for friends, scratch that, _**_a_**_ friend will do. I just want to be accepted there…." _Suddenly a car horn sounded.

"Do you think you could eat your toast on the run? I think that's your cab," the au pair Laurie asked sympathetically. She was only 20 but had become somewhat close to Jemma over the last few months since she had graduated. If nothing else, she would miss the younger girl's help keeping the children entertained and in line.

"That fine." Jemma said picking up the 'cake' in a napkin and looking down to her sisters.

"Okay, you must behave for Laurie like good girls, yes?" the girls nodded. "I shall miss you all very much munchkins" she bend down and swept them all up into a hug, trying to avoid getting them sticky from the toast.

"Do you have to go Demma?" her youngest sister Maggie asked, tears welling up in her eyes. Jemma looked at the girls and her heart broke. She hated leaving them, being like their parents. But they had it better than she had, they had each other.

"Hey, no tears honey. I am going to America to study some more. I have to go because they want me for a special adventure but don't worry, I'll be home before you even know I'm gone and I'll call you whenever I can. Besides, mummy might be getting a new job soon that means she'll be home more often so you won't even miss me" Jemma comforted, whilst trying to hide the tears in her own eyes.

She picked up the handle of her suitcase and turned to the door.

The au pair turned to the children, picking up the still crying Maggie. "Alright girls, say bye bye to your sister"

"Bye Jemma" they chorused, all waving. Jemma gave them a smile and said goodbye, before turning her back so they wouldn't see the tears that had fallen.

"Manchester Airport" Jemma told the driver as she sat back and prepared herself for the 44 mile drive from her Sheffield home.

The flight had not been too unpleasant. Jemma had no one sitting next to her so she was able to comfortably read and even take a nap. The drive to the academy had been fairly pleasant also. Her cab driver being quite chatty, allowed her to regain her nerve and prepare herself for the next chapter of her life.

The problems started at the academy.

Her dorm room was smaller than anything she had previously lived in, the smallest on the hall. To top that off there were no freshmen in her corridor, only seniors, who did not seem to like the posh English girl that was set to be the prodigy of SciOps. But worst of all was her schedule. She had no freshman classes. Even the compulsory "History of Shield" with Professor Vaughn clashed with advanced physiology meaning she had to catch up online and hope for the best.

It was also academy protocol that no freshmen could chose their class in the first month, as Shield wanted to see how well they were adjusted to the desired disciplines before taking up any others.

This had been a tremendous disappointment to Jemma. Shield was clearly in demand for doctors, as all of her classes were medical and surgery based. Jemma was a _biochemist._ Her phD was on the practical application of organic polymers for pharmaceutical delivery. Whilst certain aspects of physiology interested her, she had been much more interested in classes such as Composition of Bioweapons and The Evolution of Foreign Lifeforms. This particularly bothered her as the rumours circulated that even though there was the option to change course after the first month, it was frowned up and rarely done.

So she ploughed through her first week of classes. Then her second week. She had made absolutely no friends. It seemed like the academy was no different to any other institution she'd studied at previously- most people ignored her, save for trying to beg for or down right copy her answers. Then there was always the group of people who hated her for being cleverer than them. _Do they think I chose to be like this. Yes I study hard and do all the extra reading, but that's because I'm making the most of what I have. Don't they see that if I don't ace every class, I really will be a nobody?_

They didn't understand. The name calling started pretty quickly. All the normal stuff (nerd, geek, loser) the 'think they're being original but I've heard a million times' stuff (Hermione, Matilda) and then the offensive stuff (freak, little genius freak, invalid). Jemma wanted to say that it hurt less with every time, but somehow it hurt more.

What really made her miserable was her results. She had taken a test in every class in the first week. She had thought most of them had gone well, until she received her first progress check:

**'5 fails, 3 passes. If the cadet does not improve these grades, he/she may be asked to leave Scientific Operations division of the S.H.I.E.L.D academy. Any cadet can fail no more than one class'**

_Five fails! I found Surgical Procedure hard and I took the test for Diagnostics the day I arrived so I was jet lagged, but the rest went fine. So I thought. I've never failed a class in my life… What will I tell my parents? I don't know if I can work any harder but I have to turn FOUR classes around by midterms or I'll get kicked out. Oh god…_

Jemma felt sick to her stomach. The teasing graduated to full ton bullying over the next week. Name calling changed from 'genius' to 'freud', 'poser'.

"I bet you cheated your way into the academy, or slept your way in because you certainly didn't earn it" One of the most nasty girls on her floor, Lili, jeered right into her ear as she tried to return to her dorm room. Jemma collapsed on her bed and cried. _I really thought I could do this. I guess I am just as big an idiot as they all say I am. _She knew she had to pull up her Diagnostics grade in the mock exam next week if she had any hope of proving herself here.

The chances of that happening felt like they were dashed when Jemma returned to her room the next day. She saw that the door was slightly ajar and she had a feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach. When she entered she was horrified. All of her notes for next week's test we scattered across her floor and defaced in black sharpie. Words such as 'Failure' and 'Entitled Little Whore' were just some of the insults scrawled in handwriting she knew to be Lili's over _Every. Single. Page. _

She pulled all nighters the next four days until the test desperately trying to revise AND make new notes. When she sat it she was sure she had improved on last time's fail. Alas, when she went to collect her paper, she saw 89% and the red stamp that she knew meant 'fail'. Her lecturer looked up at her with sympathetic eyes.

"I'm sorry Cadet Simmons, you were one percent away. I scoured the paper looking for another mark but it just wasn't there. Your pass mark for this paper was 90% so I had to fail you…"

"Its alright sir, I should have studied harder." She replied in monotone, avoiding his gaze to stop herself from sobbing.

As Jemma walked out of the classroom, she could not hide her paper fast enough before Lili saw the red stamp.

"Another fail Jenna" She said in a mocking mumsy voice. She had intended to use her first name to be more condescending, not realising she had gotten it wrong. Jemma tried to keep her face blank to the group of older cadets now gathered round, but her bottom lip couldn't help quivering.

"You really should be crying-" the girl continued, her voice now cold and poisonous "- couldn't even get 60%? Christ, even Green got 64 and he's been high as a kite since semester started" She gesture to the boy on her left who did indeed look spaced out. _60%?! She said sixty twice. Professor Harrison told me that pass mark was 90! No… he told me _**_my_**_ pass mark was 90. This is why I'm failing all of my classes, they're failing me on purpose! _Jemma felt confused and betrayed. Without giving the groups of bullies surrounding her another thought she pushed pass them and ignored the jeers that followed. "Oh loooook, you made the poor _kid_ cry" one of them called.

Tears of anger now streamed down her face. She let out a physical scream of frustration as her fingerprint would not let her back into her dorm block. _Is this some kind of joke? I suppose 'do over' wishes really don't count. Either that or some make-believe deity is having a great time torturing me because these last three weeks have been the worst of my life. _Desperate to get out of the courtyard before anyone saw the tearstained mess screaming outside their dorm room, Jemma ran to one place she knew she would have access to and could be alone- block 32. If any cadet rang the buzzer to room 22b (unoccupied) a hack in the software would let them in after a minute or two. This was the genius idea of a senior several years ago to ensure everyone had access to 'pleasure toilets'. Eventually she heard the click signalling her entry had been approved. She hoped to god that the toilets would be empty at 10.45am on a Wednesday.

When she got there and took in her disgusting surroundings, she chose the end cubicle to be the least vile and locked herself in. Noticing the good reception, she went out on a whim and called home for the first time since she arrived.

RING…RING…RI- "Hello" her mother's voice sounded slightly flustered from the other end. She was surprised anyone had picked up with it being on around 5.45 am UK time.

"Mum, its Jemma. Look I'm sorry to call at such an unusual time, but I've just been having the worst day… well week… well three weeks. Basically I've been miserable since I arrived. See the thing is I've made no friends, in fact the opposite. There's this group of older cadets who hate me and…" Jemma let a sob rack through her body. Something about saying it aloud, and to her mother, made everything seem so much worse and so much better at the same time.

"Don't worry, Jem.. you'll make friends" her mum replied absently.

"Its not just that mum. See, I'm failing five of my classes and-"

"What!? What do you mean five of your classes?! Jemma how could you let this happen? Oh my god, Robert… Jemma's failing five classes. _I'm sure there's a reason for that Kate, did she say why? _She doesn't have to, I can tell you. Let me have a go Jemma- you thought: new country away from the prying eyes of my parents, also I'm 18 so I'm an ADULT now. I'm just going to go out and get blind drunk and sleep with boys and not study anymore. I'm 18 now so I can just throw my life away, come home and live off mum and dad's money. I told you she was too young to go to America on her own-"

"Oh, did you notice I'm 18 now? You could have had me fooled considering the last birthday you were around for was my 14th! Do you honestly think that I would go and drink away this opportunity and then rely on you and dad for a bail out?!"

"How dare you play that card missy. You wouldn't even begin to know how hard it is for your father and I to miss big events in your life but WE HAVE TO WORK! Heidi understands that better than you do and she's six years old! Why don't you just grow up a bit Jemma. No Robert I will no calm down. Jemma do you know why I'm up this early, because Ellie has a fever of 102. Do you know how high that is for a 3 year old? You didn't think to ask about that did you?"

Jemma was shell shocked at her mother's reaction. She knew that she wouldn't take the failure lightly but she thought she would at least get a chance to explain herself and help her mother see her side. Obviously Ellie being ill wasn't helping her mother's temperament but to accuse her of acting childish and selfish when the academy had all but '_Ender's Game'_d her was a slap in the face.

"Mum, I'm sorry, but I really need to talk to someone right now. Could you at least put dad on?" her dad would listen, her dad would understand.

"What so he can coddle you and tell you every things okay and then villainize me? I don't think so young lady. _Kate let me talk to her…_" Kate Simmons ignored her husband and continued, "You need to turn your grades around and stop wasting this opportunity. How about you call us when you've grown up a bit…."

Her mother had hung up the phone. More tears streamed down her face, silent tears turned to loud ones turned to full on sobbing. Never in her life had Jemma Simmons felt so alone. There was literally no one left to talk to, no one left to call. She didn't know what she was going to do. How could she keep up with the other students and the academy standard when they were setting her pass marks so high? How many of her other tests had she really passed? How high would they set her passes? If she started to consistently score 90s would it raise to 95? Jemma felt lost and confused and above all angry. She hated the other cadets, she hated the academy and right now she hated her mother. _The only reason she wants me to succeed here is because its one less child to bother her. If you have no intention of giving your children time and attention, why have FIVE CHILDREN?! _

Her head was absolutely splitting. She also felt a dull aching in her abdomen _oh great, my period _she thought resentfully. Reaching into her bag she pulled out one of two unopened boxes of pain killers. She had so many on her as the throbbing headaches were now her best friend. She popped two with some water and sat back. The pain was still really bad so she took another two. She hadn't woken up that morning feeling depressed. She hadn't felt depressed 30 minutes ago, but right now she thought back to her Clinical Psychology class (another that she was 'failing') _I have all the tell tale signs of depression… perfect. _She didn't want to die, per say. She also couldn't tell you that if she could go back in time she wouldn't make the same decision. All she knew what that sat down on that toilet seat at that time she felt like crap. Everything hurt and she couldn't do anything right, no matter how hard she worked and she was completely and utterly alone. So she took two more, then two more, then two more till the whole of both packets were gone. Before she could even put her phone in her bag, she felt herself fall forward. Her vision went black as it shattered to the floor.

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**Simmons :'(**

**Something important about this chapter is Simmons' motive for the overdose. She knew what she was doing, but it was more of an 'accidental overdose'. What I mean by this is that I researched suicide and it turns out that many cases are actually the result of a build up of events, and then an impulsive move to end the pain. She doesn't necessarily want to die, she just wants the pain to end.**

**If the theme of this chapter of how I handles it offended anyone I want apologise...**

**Sorry for the long note. Hope you enjoyed the chapter- feel free to R&R :) Next chapter on Monday... **


	4. Chapter 4

**Author Note: I am again grinning ear-to-ear over the response to this story. This is my first proper fic and I am so happy you guys like it. **

**I have to apologise, because this is a bit of an exposition/filler chapter. I hope that you still enjoy it, but it's not quite as tense as the others. Still, because I feel so guilty, I might try to update tomorrow or Wednesday AS WELL AS the Thursday update. I'm the gift that keeps on giving...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own marvel or S.H.I.E.L.D.**

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The girl stopped moving and lay still. For one terrible moment Fitz thought she was dead, before he noticed the steady rise and fall of her chest.

"Holy crap Fitz, I think you stabilised her" Aidan said to him, no hint of teasing in his voice. Before Fitz could reply, two medics, along with Adams and Wilson burst through the door. One of them turned to the older cadet

"How have you treated her up until now?" She asked. Aidan blushed slightly and pointed to Fitz.

"I've actually been pretty useless, it was him that sorted everything out." The female medic turned to Fitz, whose previous confidence and domineering nature had left him. He couldn't even make eye contact with her so instead opted to watch the girl.

"I gave her CPR, compressions and artificial ventilation. Then held her down during a seizure." Fitz admitted, worried he'd done the wrong thing and hurt the girl further. He was surprised by the medics response.

"Well done cadet. It looks like you've saved this girls life. I mean, she's not out of the water yet but if it wasn't for you we'd probably be carrying her to the morgue not the infirmary. You'll make a good field medic when your training is up." She offered him a reassuring smile and took the other end of the stretcher. Fitz didn't see the point in correcting her that he was engineering not physiology, so instead gave her a nod to say 'thank you.'

He stood up to follow the medics but was stopped at the door by Agent Townsend, administrative head of the academy while Agent Weaver was on maternity leave. Everyone said the latter could not return soon enough. She was well liked by all cadets (except first years who had never met her) and was a considerable improvement on Townsend who was known of being strict and harsh and as he had heard seniors say 'a first class bitch'.

"I'm sorry cadet…" Townsend began.

"Fitz?" he offered.

"Right. Cadet Fitz, I'm sorry but I have to order you to not follow the medics" She gave a thin smile to try and convince him she actually cared.

"And why is that? I just want to make sure she's okay. I sorta feel responsible for her ya know?" Fitz replied in somewhat disbelieve. He hadn't gone to that much effort to make sure she was okay just to abandon her, go grab lunch and pretend nothing had happened.

"I understand that Fitz, but Cadet…" She stopped herself before revealing a name. "This girl is troubled. We've had many cadets wash out, even more run away in the night but this is our first suicide attempt. Shield screens all potential cadets before allowing them to enrol, I'm sure you had a psychological evaluation?"

"Well yes-"

"This cadet is clearly having some… issues, mentally that is. The thing is she need to receive psychological counselling and we need to find out how she slipped through the cracks. This girl clearly cannot even handle herself, let alone wake up to stranger to whom she is indebted with her life"

"But I wouldn't-"

"Drop the subject cadet. This is out of your hands." The agent finished and before Fitz could say anymore she turned on her heel and left.

The walk back to their dorm block was silent. Fitz wasn't sure if the truce between him and the ogre trio was permanent or not but right now there were much more pressing thoughts occupying his mind. It was Wilson who broke the silence.

"God, Townsie a Bitch" he declared. Grumbles of agreement followed. Fitz took this opportunity to ask some of the questions on his mind,

"She looked young right?" They four of them stopped outside of Fitz's door

"Like a freshman, only I've never seen her in any of my classes…"

"Maybe she's in her second year, she might just look young given… the circumstances" Aidan replied.

"I dunno, I'm kinda with Fitzy on this one, I have never seen that girl around in my life. Something seems a little weird" Adams mused. He still used the nickname but for some reason it seemed less of an insult and more of just a name.

"I just hope the kids okay. Hell, what if Townsie's right? We'll never get to find out so maybe we should just say job well done to Fitzy because he was a fricking hero today, seriously man, and then just forget about it" Wilson finished. The other two said a heartfelt well done to Fitz for his heroism and continued on to their rooms. Wilson hung back a second.

"I don't think I can just forget about her. All I can see is those pale eyes. I just want to know that she's okay…" Fitz whispered, forgetting who he was taking to. He expected a snide response but was instead met with a tone as sombre and quiet as his own,

"I know man. What can you do though? You don't even know the chick's name… Just don't let this haunt you." Wilson gave his shoulder a small squeeze and followed the two older cadets.

Fitz realised that they were right. He'd never seen this girl before, what were the chances he'd see her now? _Besides, Agent Townsend made it pretty clear that she even if she did wake up she would probably be kicked out…_ Fitz lay down on his bed and tried to forget about her. Over the next few days he'd almost gotten her image out of his mind. He also revelled in the fact that whilst Adams, Aidan and Wilson were not by any stretch his 'friends', they had stopped the bullying. They even acted casual around him in classes and in the hallway. Fitz would take small talk and half

nods over being the prank guinea pig any day. In fact, Fitz wouldn't have given the girl another thought if it hadn't been for October 1st a.k.a 'The Day Their Lives Changed Forever.'

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**That's right, not long to wait until their actual first encounter :) I know I'm excited…**

**I was originally planning to keep writing this chronologically until it catches up with the pod incident. Then I thought maybe I should occasionally jump back to present day and have some of Skye's reactions and stuff.**

**What do you think? Continue just in flashbacks, or pepper in a few flashforwards?**

**As always, thank you for reading and feel free to leave me a review :D**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author Note: Here it is! The extra little chapter I promised you :) Thanks to rburnham02 and notapepper for the help on the decision to continue the present day story line as well as the origins one. Your reviews were greatly appreciated (as were all the reviews, favs and follows- you guys are the best!). A special second thanks to notapepper for informing me of the format issues with the last chapter. I hope I sorted that before too many of you got there.**

**Anyhow, here's the chapter. It is set in the present day hospital ward, just like chapter one. Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel or Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.**

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_Present Day_

Skye shook her head. She was still trying to process the information the biochemist had already given her. _She tried to kill herself? Simmons? The easily embarrassed, way too into science, heart of gold dork? That girl doesn't have a bad bone in her body. She's the first one to give anyone a chance. She's the friendliest person I think I've ever met. I just can't imagine that she could get that low. _

Simmons must have seen Skye shaking her head because she stopped talking. She looked searchingly at the former hacker's face for a moment.

"You can't believe it, can you?" She asked, almost ashamed. "Coulson was the same when he found out…"

"AC knows?! Skye was clearly shocked, and a little amused. "I never would've pegged you two as BFFs" Jemma let out a good natured laugh.

"We're not. Not that I don't like Agent, rather _Director _Coulson. In fact I have the upmost respect for the man, that's why I couldn't lie to him when he asked"

"_That's_ why you couldn't lie. Please! You couldn't lie if your life depended on it… Which actually could be a real situation in this line of work. Are you sure 'super secret government agent' was the best career for you?"

"Ha ha, very funny. As it turns out I can lie if I have to, especially about Shield intel. I only tend to falter when its to my friends. I just feel so guilty… Anyway, maybe I couldn't have convincingly lied to Coulson, but that didn't matter because I chose not to"

"When he asked you about your suicide attempt?"

"No of course not! The details of that incident are highly classified. Even Coulson couldn't access that information. Well, as director, he probably could now. But at the time, nothing under a level 10 could access it. Basically, unless Director Fury himself wanted to know, that information was under lock and key, metaphorically of course. This was done to protect my future in the agency."

"So how did _D _C know to ask?"

"He didn't, specifically. It was made very clear to me that my action of that morning could not go unpunished. Whilst the details were kept secret, I have had to go through my whole career with a red mark against my record."

"A red mark? That's bad right? It sounds bad…"

"It's not terrible, but it's certainly not a good thing. Red marks can be given out for a number of offences. They're normally given to specialists who have had complications on missions. They can also be given to people who are recruited from unusual circumstances- you probably have one…"

"Wait, what! Why- because I was a member of the rising tide? Because I was only allowed on board after I hacked Shield's system… Actually that makes sense. Continue"

"Well, like I say, it has been more difficult to get field assignment with the mark. As a SciOps agent with no field experience, to have one is a stray from the norm. Many suspect the reason is a lab accident and therefore assume my incompetence. It was quite infuriating really. Anyway, Coulson didn't jump to any conclusions. He asked me what it was for and I told him"

"And he couldn't believe it?"

"No. He just sat there shocked. He asked me the reason and I told him that I'd rather keep that to myself. He then checked my psych eval, saw that everything was normal and gave me the benefit of the doubt. For that I cannot thank him enough."

"Way to go DC! That's super cool of him to be so chill about it."

"It was. Especially as Fitz and I also hadn't passed our field assignments. In hindsight, I can't help but wonder if it would have been better for him to be more rule abiding. If Fitz and I hadn't ever joined this team, perhaps…" She stopped herself to choke back the tears. Overwhelming guilt was the feeling that Jemma felt more strongly than anything recently.

"Hey." Skye pulled her friend in for a hug. "Yeah, maybe it would have been better for Fitz to not come on the bus, but maybe not. Hydra would have still come out. I heard they seized the academy too. Whose to say if he would have been any better off there than here."

"You're right. It's just hard not to feel as lost as I did _that day_. I had no one. It felt like every effort I made was in vain. It's no different to now. Fitz may never wake up. I just… I wish I knew how to help him. I'm a biochemist for god sake. I have spent years specialising in the human body and every process that occurs inside it. Why can I not wake him up?" Frustration racked her body. She hated being so helpless. Skye looked at her with sympathy. _Sympathy I don't deserve. Its my fault he's like this. He saved me because he loves me. Now I may never get the chance to tell him I feel the same way…_

Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I don't know how to be myself without him. I know that sounds ridiculous, but I've known him for six years. That's a quarter of my life. That day when he found me, I was still a child. I was scared and lost and alone and he saved me. It's almost poetic… Macabre, but with a certain poignancy." Tears streams down her face, but she didn't stop, she couldn't.

"Those bullies were _awful _to him. He was so miserable in those first three weeks. Do you know he has scars for some of the things they did to him? Even after we met he still had nightmares about those days." Skye looked at the man lying almost lifeless in the centre of the room. _How can he have been so tortured? How could she have been so depressed? _The hacker had always imagined that the two science babies had had an easy ride through school and the academy. She was always envious of the children that were smarter than her. Yet here are two people that were off the chart intelligent, and given an opportunity that others would kill for, and they had been desperately unhappy. _Until they met each other… That was then, I only know them for who they are now. What changed? _

"Even then, when he saw me he called for their help. For the help of his tormentors. I remember asking him about that day, long after we met. He told me 'there's good in everyone. No one's born evil.' Fitz isn't the most religious person, but he had a Christian upbringing, and he values human life above all else. He honestly believed there was enough good in those bullies to help him. He believed that there was enough good in me that I was worth saving, even after he saw the pill packets. He believed there was good in Ward too. Till the second he dropped that pod, he thought Ward could change."

"When I was down, I was weak. I acted foolishly. I felt so alone, I didn't think of the consequences, of who I was leaving behind. That's the difference between us. No matter how sad, or isolated or afraid Fitz gets, he's always brave. He was brave when he saved my life on that bathroom floor. When he came into the lab to help me find a cure, with no regard to his own health. When he pressed that bloody button to save me. He doesn't see it. He thinks he has no courage. I know that he's afraid, but that's what makes him so brave. He's afraid, and he always comes though anyway." Jemma gave his hand a squeeze. Of course, this triggered no response, but she wanted to him to know that she was there. _In case you can feel it. I'm here, I'll always be here…_

A silence fell over the room. Simmons had already spilled so much of her heart to Skye, and the taller brunette knew this. _It can't have been easy to say all that aloud. She feels responsible. And I don't think I made her feel any better with my response to her confession. I can see that she's ashamed. I need to let her know that I don't judge her. I want to be Simmons friend. I know were sorta are, but I want to be like, really her friend. _Skye sighed heavily. She felt inclined to tell Simmons something personal to show her that she wasn't alone in what she was feeling. She took a deep breath before saying some of the things she'd never said aloud before.

"When I came out of the orphanage, I felt more abandoned than ever. I was eighteen and I had to make it on my own in the world. I had no contacts- I had no one. I was in the foster system since birth, pretty much. You know, it's rare for someone to be in it for so long and never be adopted. I know now that that's all Shield's doing, but I didn't know that at the time… Do you know what's worse than not being fostered? She asked. The biochemist shook her head honestly.

"Being brought back. Having a family take you in and then give you back. You're like an unwanted gift. They seem happy with you for a few seconds and then rush to return you. It sucked. There were days when I thought about ending it, but I didn't. You know why?" Jemma's gaze dropped to the floor. She hadn't know Skye had ever had the same feeling she had. The other girl gently put her hand on Jemma's chin, forcing her to lift her head and resume eye contact. It was a gesture that said she shouldn't be ashamed of what happened in the past. It demanded eye contact for the message of the story. Skye continued.

"I was scared. Scared of eternal damnation. I never really believed all that religion crap that was drummed into us, but I believed that. So when I went out on the streets, I didn't know what to do. Then I found Miles. God, I know that he's a two faced douche now, but I was so in love with him. He taught me about computers, how to hack. He bought me my van. I never thought it would end, but it did. And I felt so terrible, like I was being bought back to the orphanage. I never did what you did, but I understand how you felt. Sometimes life is a pile of crap and it feels like there's no reason to go on. But there alway is. You couldn't see it then, but see it now. Fitz. He's still here. I'll bet he's running around in his head, pulling at every door, trying to find the one that leads back to you. Be here when he finds it Simmons. He needs you. We all need you. You're a part of this team. Don't feel like that scared kid, feel like the brave woman that I know you are. You say Fitz is the brave one, but you're pretty brave too. She gave her a reassuring smile. Jemma nodded her head, feeling like a little bit more hope had returned to her life.

"Now, I want to hear more of this story. October first right? FitzSimmons unite for the first time!" Skye coaxed excitedly. On the one hand she wanted Simmons to keep telling the story because she knew it distracted her. It had already been a couple of hours telling it thus far, and in those hours Simmons didn't fuss over charts or vitals once. On the other hand, she also really wanted to see how it played out. _If Simmons is gonna spend every night in here awake, I'll be here awake with her. She needs me now._

"Well, almost. But first I have to tell you about my encounter with Agent Weaver. If it weren't for her, Fitz and I would have probably never met… Well formally at least." She gave her friend a warm smile. Fitz was still in a coma, and this felt like a burning dagger twisting in her heart. However, she now realised that even without him, she wasn't alone. Skye had opened up to her today. She had seen Jemma as a true friend to put her heart on her sleeve like that. None the less, she hoped beyond hope that Fitz would wake up so they could finish the story together.

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**So there it is… I hope you liked it. Skye is not a character I find it very easy to write, probably because I found her a bit annoying in the first few eps (fyi I love her now). Anyway, I'd love some feedback (including constructive criticism) on how I write her. **

**The idea of Fitz in his coma state looking for Simmons through a series of doors comes from. Euranna17's 'Sunshine'. It is such an amazing fic, written in a completely original style. I love it! You should definitely check it out if you haven't already...**

**I love the idea of Skye and Jemma being quite close girl friends. I realise this chapter was quite dialogue heavy but hey, I like dialogue XD **

**Feel free to leave me a review, it makes me so happy when you do (unintentional poem)**

**The next update will be tomorrow aka Thursday. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Here's another chapter. We're back to the flashback/September 2008 timeline. Thanks again for the reviews of last chapter, and for the whole story. It really makes me so happy that you're enjoying this story :D **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel or Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.**

* * *

Jemma awoke on September 26th, two days after what would be known as 'the bathroom incident' or 'the worst day of my life'. Her eyes squinted to adjust to the harsh, white, artificial lighting. _Maybe I'm in heaven? _She laughed to herself, _no, I don't think heaven has a strong odour of antiseptics… and I doubt I would've gotten in after that stunt anyhow. _As previously mentioned, Jemma didn't fully regret her decision. She had done what she thought she had to do in that situation. If only Shield would be able to see that and not treat her like a suicidal maniac. She was damn happy to still be alive, and with a fresh head and some well needed sleep, she felt that she could sort out the problems in her life. _Right, 1. Confront the senior most agent I can contact about my pass marks, 2. Change as many of my classes as possible, 3. Call mum and dad and try to mend that relationship. _Unfortunately, Shield had other plans for her recovery.

She had been informed that it was compulsory to stay in the infirmary for another 2 days to be monitored. On the 28th she had a meeting with a board of senior agents to try to convince them she wanted to stay at the academy, if that is in fact what she wanted. After the appeal had been considered, she would receive further information about how to proceed (either pack up and leave, or attend all the mandated therapy sessions required to stay). Jemma had been informed of all of this by the nice nurse that was assigned to her recovery unit.

What did not go to plan was the 'out of the blue' visit by Agent Weaver to her room on the 27th (her last day of recovery).

"Cadet Simmons, as I have been informed you are very lucky to be here today. Apparently a brave young cadet gave you life saving resuscitation. Oh, how absent minded of me, incase you haven't gathered I am Agent Weaver, head of Shield Scientific Operations Division." She extended a hand, which Jemma hesitantly shook.

"Yes, they told me about that, but they won't tell me the cadet's name, which is a shame as I would like to thank them and…" she hesitated. _You're rambling. This is the senior most agent- get to the point. _She scolded herself.

"I thought that Agent Townsend was the head of this division" She chose as her first question.

"Agent Townsend was acting head while I was on maternity leave. Look Simmons, I'm sure you're wondering why I'm here. I am not one to waste time so lets get to it. Shield had been monitoring you for some time before your recruitment, we… _I_… thought that you would be on course to be one of our most impressive agents. I return to hear that not only are you failing five classes, but there's been a suicide attempt! Has this been a terrible misjudgement of character on my part or is there another side of this story I don't understand. I wanted to come here before the appeal to give you a chance to explain yourself without all the bureaucracy." The Agent continued. Her look was a mixture of frustration and sympathy, as if she really did want Simmons to have a good excuse.

_Here goes nothing Jemma. This is your one chance:_ "I actually have a lot of reasons for this. Firstly the classes I have been put in do not best suit my doctorate. I have no desire to be a medic but when I informed the lecturers they blew me off. As for the failure, it has come to my attention that my pass marks are considerably higher than they are for the other cadets. For example I failed a Diagnostics test with a score of 89% and-"

"Higher pass marks… Cadet Simmons, I hope you realise the severity of this accusation?!" Weaver responded, defensive and a little dumbfound.

"Agent Weaver, I would never accuse Shield of something like that on a whim. I know its true. Check my marks against the pass grades and I can guarantee you my progress has not been that poor." The look of desperation with a hint of determination in the young girls eyes moved something inside Agent Weaver.

"You've had trouble fitting in. (not a question, a statement) Everyone I have talked to has confirmed this. That combined with what you're suggesting sheds a lot of light on this situation. I will launch a formal inquiry into this accusation in time for your appeal tomorrow. Do you want to be a Shield agent Miss Simmons?"

"Yes, of course" Jemma replied definitely.

"Then, I look forward to seeing you in conference room 2B tomorrow at 3.45pm. Don't be late." The older woman gave Jemma something of a smile before picking up her bag and leaving the room.

/

When Jemma awoke the next day she was surprised to be informed that the appeal had been cancelled. Instead she had a private meeting with Agent Weaver, with only the information that 'office hours are between 10 and 2'. So she anxiously reached the office at 10.10am. _I don't want to seem too eager. Wait. This is for my place at the academy. This could be my only chance. I should have been here waiting at 9.59. She is probably putting red marks against my case for every minute I'm late… _In a frenzy Jemma knocked three times loudly on the door and entered a millisecond before Agent Weaver uttered a 'come in'.

"Ah, Cadet Simmons. You're here very early. I trust that you're feeling better?" The Agent asked tentatively. Jemma was still very pale, and being in the ward for 4 days meant she hadn't had a chance to properly wash her hair so she looked a bit of a mess. Still, the two days of sleep had gotten rid of the red rims and bags under her eyes and the life had returned to her face. She was starting to again look like the eager, curious girl with a thirst for knowledge that they had recruited just two months ago.

"Yes! Of course! Sooooo much better. Fit as the proverbial fiddle, well maybe not quite. I mean, I still feel a bit tired and weak… and hungry. I don't really remember the last time that I ate. The doctors have had me on liquid nutrients for the last few days. Still, nothing more sleep and some food can't fix. I might head to the canteen after this. If my meal card still works. Oh my gosh, I'm rambling aren't I. You may have called me in here to ask me to leave and I'm talking about lunch, I-"

"Simmons" Agent Weaver cut her off, firmly but with an amused smile. Jemma felt a blush creep up her face. She looked at the woman expectantly, waiting for her to continue.

"We're not going to ask you to leave the academy, in fact quite the opposite. It turns out Agent Townsend saw great potential in you. This is why she chose to set your pass marks higher than the other students. This can be a very successful way to make students live up to their full potential, but in this case it was agreed that she took it too far. I don't want to inflate your ego Simmons, but you actually scored the highest marks in the class in four of the classes you 'failed'." The older woman told her, looking slightly guilty. _This poor girl is barely 18 and already we've pushed her past breaking point. I dread to think what would have happened if those boys hadn't found her. _

"As requested, we have drastically changed your schedule. You are now in all of the compulsory freshman classes about Shield history and Field assignments. You also have the choice to change 3 of your other courses, you must keep Diagnostics andAdvanced Biochem as all the other options in these blocks are full. Unfortunately, all of the other possible options are advanced courses typically taken by third or fourth years. I think some of these options may be more appealing for you and we more than believe that you are up to the standard of work, however if you would like to defer this year and return next summer that is also an option." Agent Weaver handed Jemma a form with all the available courses on it.

There were still quite a few courses that Jemma liked the look of. 'Applications of Biochemistry in the Field,' _definitely_. 'Advanced Biomedical Medical Engineering' _could be a challenge_. 'Trial Course: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Engineering… Combined Problem Solving' _this seems intriguing, and its worth double the amount of credits as the other courses_. Jemma could already feel the excitement about studying at the academy return to her for the first time in a month.

"You will need to complete that form and return it by Friday if you wish to continue this year. I have worked very hard to keep the details of last week's event confidential. Only Agent Townsend, myself, the medic who treated you and the cadets who found you know the details and we have all agreed to keep it fully under wraps. Everyone else thinks that you took a week off for personal reasons and nothing else. I would advise you to stay secretive about this. As per Shield protocol, you have been assigned mandated therapy sessions every day until you are cleared by the psychiatrist. Very good luck with your studies Simmons, I expect to hear nothing but good things about you from now on" Agent Weaver stood to shake Jemma's hand. Jemma took it with a smile before picking up her forms and heading to the canteen- she really was starving.

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**Thats it for now folks. Next update will be Monday. **

**I love to write rambling Simmons, she's just so cute :P **

**I know, I know, I teased you with FitzSimmons meeting this chapter but they will soon I promise. It may be next chapter, you'll just have to read and find out…**

**Thanks for reading and feel free to leave me a review :) **


	7. Chapter 7

**Author Note: I know it's late (and for some of you it may already be Tuesday) but I had some real trouble with this chapter. In my head I knew exactly how I wanted it to be but it just didn't seem to go onto the page right. Anyway, I wanted to post the 'FitzSimmons actually meet' chapter today because I know some of you were waiting for it, so here it is.**

**It's been a hectic weekend, so I didn't spend as much time on this as I would've liked. If there's any major issues/mistakes, leave a review or PM me. I don't have a beta, and I didn't proof read it as closely as I normally do.**

**But negativity aside, here's the chapter :) **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel or Shield. **

**ps. This is the last chapter I'm putting the disclaimer. It's the same every time and it applies for every chapter henceforth…**

_October 1st_

Fitz was excited. His first month at the academy was over, he was no longer being bullied (he still had no friends but today was going to be a good day, he wouldn't let that bring him down) and he'd finally been able to swap boring freshman maths and physics to senior classes and drop computer science. _What is this, communications? I'm at SciOps for god sake! _Instead, he was taking the interesting-looking new class about combined problem solving. _And its worth double credits so you'll have a better chance of graduating top of your class. _It was also one month exactly until his birthday so what could be bad? And whilst Fitz didn't realise it yet, his day (and life) was about to get so much better.

Simmons' lungs were burning. She turned the corner and looked at her watch: "15.33.78" it read. Her smile stretched ear to ear. She was on track for making it back in under 20 minutes. Three miles in 18 minutes was the requirement to pass the field exam and was her personal goal. The real reason she was running was that it was prescribed by her therapist.

"Often academics find their minds overwhelmed. The best way to control that is to take part in a physical activity. Tire the body so the mind can rest. I suggest you do something physical at least three times a week, but don't overwork yourself" He told her.

Jemma was actually grateful for her therapist. He was helping her get everything back in order and even he said that she was making such good progress that she would soon be down to once a week sessions.

However sceptical she was when her gave her her latest prescription, _urgh! I hate P.E. _she had to admit that her mind was clearest when she ran. This was only her first run but it was much more enjoyable than she had anticipated.

When she hit stop, her watch read "20.24.97". Under seven minute miles. _Thats good for a first time right? _At that point Jemma didn't really care. She felt good and today was the first day of her new schedule. She hopped in for a quick shower, dressed and towel dried her hair. She gathered up her things: laptop, pencil case, notepad, textbook, purse, into her satchel and grabbed her schedule. The clock read 8.18, plenty of time to reach the lecture hall by 9.00am. However, to her horror, when she checked her schedule, her class actually started at 8.30am. _How could I make this mistake?! I'm going to be late on my first day of new classes! _Breakfast went out the window as she grabbed a key and her bag and ran out onto the dorm.

Fitz could have sworn he'd been in the canteen queue for about eleven hundred hours, _why are so many people up? Its only quarter past bloody 8! If I didn't have this new lecture at the most ungodly hour for a lecture known to man, I wouldn't be up for at least another hour (or two)_. By the time he got to the counter it was 23 minutes past. _Best just get a drink, that's all they'll let me take into the sodding lecture hall. _So he ordered a coffee to go and made his way next door.

24 minutes past, Jemma opened the door to the Combined Sciences building. _Made it with time to spare…_ or at least she would have if she'd been watching the corridor not her watch as she turned the corner.

Fitz was about to take another sip when he turned the corner and collided with someone. The hot liquid in his cup flew all over the stranger while avoiding him.

"I am so sorry, I got you soaked-"

"Silly me, I should have been looking where I was going-" They spoke over each other. Each let out a nervous giggle before looking at the other.

"I'm just in a rush to get to Professor Fielding's lecture" Jemma continued

"It just so happens so am I. It's my first day in this class, you see" Fitz replied.

"Mine too" Jemma smiled. A smile that lit up her eyes. Coffee coloured eyes that seemed so familiar to him.

"What a coincidence… I am sorry about the coffee, your dripping wet now" Fitz stated apologetically as he looked at her. Her black mini skirt was fine but her pale blue jumper was drenched _and probably ruined you clumsy git_. He took off his thin cardigan, leaving him in only a tee shirt and jeans.

"This is a little big on me so it'll probably swamp you, but we can't have you walking around in wet clothes now can we?"

Jemma was about to protest but the cardigan had already been thrust into her hands. _You're going to be late. Besides, he's right. You can't be late and dressed like a tramp_. Without thinking she handed him her satchel to hold, took off her jumper and halfway buttoned up the cardigan over her camisole.

It was at that moment that recognised her. In a tank top and skirt just like the day he found her. _Surely this girl with damp, slightly curly hair pulled back into a loose ponytail and a light dusting of make-up couldn't be the pale ghost he'd resuscitated on the bathroom floor. But she is, she unmistakably is. _Fitz realised that he'd been staring and awkwardly handed her back her bag. She either didn't mind or didn't notice- _maybe she's as socially awkward as you are? _-and kept up with his stride. They entered the lecture hall at 8.30 exactly and he was surprised when she delicately slid into the seat next to his own.

"For those brave freshmen that have just started this class, my name is Professor Fielding and my specialism is quantum physics in the field. For the seniors that have taken this class since term started, I would tell you to go easy on the freshers but that just wouldn't be the Shield way." A few sniggers from around the room. 

"Now that we have our adjusted list of everyone that will be in the class all year, its time to start work. This class is different from every other class at SciOps. You simultaneously won't be tested and will be tested every fortnight. You see the way this class is taught is that I don't teach…" Fielding continued. He then went to his desk to check something on his laptop.

"I wonder if he always speaks in contradictions…" Fitz whispered into Simmons' ear, forgetting himself. _This was the only seat free you plonker, she doesn't actually want to speak to you… _He squinted his eyes closed in regret. The sound that followed was unlike anything he'd heard before. It sounded like bird song and wind chimes combined into his new favourite melody. He opened his eyes to see her giggling.

"Maybe he does… and he doesn't" she whispered back, her breath tickling his neck. He took this small, unintentional recess in the class to full take in her appearance. In normal health she looked completely different. Her skin was porcelain now, but had a subtly glow to it that made her look like something precious. A few tendrils of her hair had come loose, framing her delicate face. His cardigan hung off of her petite body, hiding slightly her surprising curves. _She looks beautiful, _he thought. _If I make one friend at this place, I think I'd like it to be her. _His daydream was interrupted by Fielding continuing his class

"As I was saying. You will be assigned a project every fortnight. This will be a problem that was really faced in the field. You then have two weeks to solve this problem with your partner using a combination of your skills. You're parter must be in a different discipline than you. As per real life, the problems vary in difficulty and will be picked at random. Because I have a heart of gold, I will allow you to choose your own partner, but don't all at once run to Holt!" Laughter from all of the seniors including the boy in question, _must be some sort of in joke_.

At that moment several people instantly began turning and moving around the room to form partnerships. _Great, now she'll give me the half nod and run off to some other bloke, leaving me to whatever other loser is left until last. _Surprised once again, he looked up to find her eyes boring into his own. There was something else in there. She was nervous. Just as nervous as him.

She watched the boy. He looked deep in thought. _Probably thinking of the best way to get past me and out into the aisle to join his friends. Then again, he sat down completely randomly in the class. Maybe he didn't have a partner in mind and that's why he was daydreaming. I've often sat isolated, waiting for everyone to pair off with friends and leave me with whoever's left. Come on Jemma, this could be your chance to make a friend, or at least a good lab partner. _His eyes looked up to meet her own. Before she could let the opportunity pass, she spoke.

"I'm biochem…" A stupid, insignificant statement. _That makes it seem like your name is biochem you silly girl. _

"Engineering" he replied. Her heart leapt.

"Well those are different, that means we could be partners… if you like… that is if you don't have someone else in mind-" She began to ramble.

"Partners." he cut her off with a smile. They went to the laptop at the front and paired their names. this signalled that they were allowed to leave the lecture as it had only been an introduction. The project would begin tomorrow.

They walked out of the hall making small talk

"- a lecture so early" Fitz whined slightly

"I know! I didn't even get the chance to have breakfast" She whined back.

"Neither did I. I only picked up a coffee to go and…" Fitz felt the blush return.

"How about we go get something now… I mean, because we're both hungry and-"

"You're a bit of a rambler aren't you?" He smiled affectionately. "I am too you know, but when I get talking about science and engineering. I can go on for hours and hours. It used to drive me mam up the wall… I definitely want to grab some breakfast"

She smiled at him as he held the door. They stood in the breakfast queue in comfortable silence for a few minutes. This was broken when he said

"I'm Fitz by the way…" He smiled at her, his bright blue eyes still shy but a bit more revealing.

"Simmons" she nodded, and returned the smile.

**Tah Dah! They actually acknowledged each others existence! Now the FitzSimmons-y fun can start.**

**Hope you like this chapter. Thanks for reading, and especially thanks to those who have read from the beginning! Seven chapters in to my first multi chapter. I still have a bunch of chapter outlines in my head, I'm just excited that its lasted so long and there's interest.**

**Also thanks any reviewers. You guys make my day! If you wanna know how that feels, leave me a review :)**

**Next update'll be Thursday **


	8. Chapter 8

**Author Note: Thanks for all the reviews guys, they really mean the world to me! I am so happy that you like way this story is turning out. I have tried to keep this fic a little different from the other origins ones out there. That said, I'm a sucker for some solid FitzSimmons cuteness as much as I'm sure you are :)**

**So this chapter (and probably the next few), will stay on the lighter tone, with the awkward, cute budding relationship. That being said, I definitely have some big stuff planned, and I have not forgotten the proposal tease of the first chapter. There is also another present day chapter coming soon.**

**I also realised uni (and the new season :D) is fast approaching, and I'd love to have this fic done before I go. Therefore, I'm doing my best to write a little faster, and I'll probably move updates to 3 or 4 times a week not 2… **

**On with the story~**

Breakfast went well- better than either of them could have imagined. They spoke with an ease that could have fooled anyone into thinking they'd know each other for years. The conversation stayed light in tone and context (they had only just met after all) but it was still stimulating. Everything from classes to canteen food was discussed, and before they knew it they had the mess hall almost to themselves. Simmons was thankful that the conversation was about the academy as she still felt a little sore with the topic of her family and childhood. She also steered well clear of telling him she'd _accidentally?_ tried to overdose only a week ago. Fitz too steered clear of the topic, not wanting to tell her he'd been the one to find her. S_he clearly doesn't know. How can I bring that up in a casual way?!_

"Sorry guys, we have to close to clean up before the lunch rush." They both snapped their heads around in unison to the origin of the voice, a lunch lady behind the counter wiping down the sides.

"Oh sorry…" He began.

"…We didn't realise it was so late…" She continued.

"We'll just be off then." He finished.

They gathered up their belonging, and returned their plates. As they were walking through the door, they heard the lunch lady call "sorry to cut your date short."

Neither said anything, nor could look at the other. They were both blushing beet red and walked in silence for a bit.

Simmons awkwardly cleared her throat before stuttering "Th.. Thats ridiculous…"

"We're not even…" Fitz furrowed his brow.

"Exactly." Simmons stated, abruptly ending the conversation, although what they were was still undefined.

They continued to walk in silence before they reached Simmons' dorm block. She stopped suddenly, causing him to stop too. He gave her a confused look before realising what was happening

"So this is me…" she said quietly, almost as if she didn't want it to be true.

"Yeah, okay. Well, I best be off then…" He replied, still not meeting her gaze.

_Come on Jemma, don'tblowthisdon'tblowthisdon'tblowthis…_

"Do you want to, maybe meet up for breakfast tomorrow? I mean before Fielding's lecture?" She asked. He internally chuckled at her facial expression. Her eyebrows were furiously knit and she was biting her bottom lip off. It looked like she was trying to solve the worlds hardest maths problem. _Maybe she _**_is_**_ as new at this as I am… _

"That sounds great. All the motivation to be up on time I suppose," he replied trying to sound casual. Her face instantly lit up and he couldn't deny the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Perfect. Do you want to meet me here at, say, 7.30?" she asked, still biting her lip but somehow smiling too. Normally for an 8.30 lecture, he would wake up no earlier than 8.10 but something about her eagerness was so damn cute. _She could ask you anything and you'd say yes you tosser. You're already in too deep. This can only end badly… _He ignored his internal voice and nodded his head in agreement. She shot him one last smile before opening the entrance door to her block and leaving.

Fitz got back to his dorm room and collapsed on his bed. He honestly couldn't remember the last time he'd been so happy. They had had the time to compare schedules over breakfast and found that they now had three classes the same. Three classes! Three classes in which he wouldn't have to sit alone. Three classes in which he would see _her._ He figured her schedule had changed after the bathroom incident.

He already heard rumours of the freshman girl who'd just disappeared for a week. Lucky no one knew the girl's name or face, just the rumours.

Some say that she'd had caught an unknown illness that meant she had to be quarantined.

Others that she'd secretly been pregnant and left to have the baby.

One rumour was even going around that she was actually so skilled already that they'd asked her to go to a real mission.

Fitz was one of the few people who knew the truth, well part of it. But that was just the thing, he knew the what, where and how but he didn't know the _why._ And he wanted to. Not because he was nosey or anything, but because he just wanted to know. Something about those coffee coloured eyes and shy, curious smile made him just want to know _everything _about her. His internal voice was right… he was already in deep.

Jemma found herself awake at night, unable to sleep. It was thoughts of _him_ that were keeping her up. She felt overwhelmed with excitement for tomorrow. Not only did they have Fielding's lecture in the morning _and breakfast! _they also had Biomedical Engineering in the afternoon. _Looks like that wish might finally be coming true… _Jemma couldn't help but feel connected to Fitz already. When she spoke to him he looked like he was genuinely listening AND understanding what she was saying. This was quite a novelty for her as she was normally the smartest person in any room she entered, and unfortunately it wasn't in her nature to dumb down her conversations. _You better get some sleep, you get your first assignment tomorrow. If you come in like a basket case you'll only let Fitz down and he won't want to work with you again!_ She definitely didn't want to let Fitz down. So through will power alone, she forced herself to sleep.

At 7.30am exactly, Fitz sounded the buzzer for Simmons' room. He waited patiently for a reply, or for her to buzz him him but neither occurred. He waited. 2 minutes passed (although he could have sworn it was 20) before he decided to buzz again. Still nothing. _You read the situation all wrong. She felt awkward yesterday and suggested breakfast out of pity. She didn't actually want you to show up. _Fitz pursed his lips to the side, genuinely hurt. He was about to turn on his heel and leave when the building's door opened. She closed it quickly behind her and jogged down the steps to meet him. She looked beautiful, wearing a different black skirt, pale pink camisole with baby blue blouse unbuttoned over it and a pair of brow moccasins. Her damp hair was in a fishtail braid today and as she caught up with him, he could smell her raspberry shampoo.

"Sorry I didn't buzz you in. I just thought it would be quicker to come down…" She said, trying to keep her face neutral.

"Oh yeah, well I figured" He responded, matching her tone and expression. Neither of them had had friends before so they didn't really know how to behave around each other. After standing around for a minute she suggested:

"So, shall we head over to the canteen?"

"Yeah. If we get there quick enough we can maybe miss the rush" He agreed. _How is it that you literally have a million things you want to ask this girl, and tell her, yet you can't think of one meaningful thing to say?_

They made small talk on the way over there (did you sleep well? are you ready for class today?) with neither showing much emotion. This changed as they edged closer to the counter to pick their breakfast.

"They have chocolate muffins" She excitedly whispered to him, forgetting the self-consciousness and grabbing his arm. Her face lit up. He raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"No, you don't understand! They had them on one of the days in the first week. It is THE BEST chocolate muffin you will ever have!" Somewhere in her giddy hand gestures she let go of his arm. He had to admit, he missed the contact.

"Really Simmons, I pegged you as more of a raisin bran kind of girl. I mean all you had yesterday was fruit which I must say is crazy to me"

"What's crazy- fruit in general or just fruit for breakfast?" He was speechless at the retort but she chuckled to let him know she was only teasing.

"Normally I do like to eat healthily, crazy as that may seem (she laughed again). But I have a weakness for good breakfast food. Pancakes, muffins, even those American glazed doughnuts- I love anything sweet and chocolatey for breakfast." She shrugged. Now was Fitz's turn to laugh. He'd never heard her talk so enthusiastically about something that wasn't academic. He liked it. It made her seem more like a person.

They reached the counter and before he could open his mouth she ordered two muffins, a fruit tea and a cappuccino. He didn't mind though. Fitz loved breakfast too (and all other kinds of food really) and liked the impression it gave that they knew each other so well she could order for him. Before she could react, he swiped his meal card and paid for it all.

"You didn't have to pay" She said, reaching for her purse to pay him back.

"Don't worry about it" Fitz replied, steering them to a corner booth away from all the rabble. "You can always just pay tomorrow-" He instantly fell silent. _Why would you even assume that she wants to do this again? You keep moving too fast. _

"Deal" She nodded with a shy smile. If she noticed his sudden hesitance she ignored it. Fitz was desperate to gain control of the situation and not ruin everything with his poor social skills.

"Thanks for getting me a cappuccino, how did you know?" He asked, trying to regain the light tone they had previously been conversing with.

"Well, you poured it all over me yesterday so…" She gave him a serious look, making Fitz gulp. She giggled again, shaking her head as she did so. She abruptly stopped she saw the look of dread still plastered on his face.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean that… It was only a joke. I don't even know why I brought that… I just thought that's what friends did and-" she spoke at a million miles per hour.

"Friends?" He cut he off. He tried to stay relaxed, even though parade music was going around in his head.

"It was too soon for me to say that wasn't it? Like I say, I'm really no good at these sort of things. We're _just lab partners_. That's fine with me, if its still fine with you?" She was now blushing violently red and staring at the floor.

"Actually…" he began. _Oh no, I've blown it. He's going to tell me that he didn't want to lead me on, he just felt sorry for me. Ohgodohgodohgod…._

"I think I like the sound of friends better."

**So there it is…**

**I hope you liked this chapter, but feel free to tell me what you actually thought in a review…**

**The next post will probably be this weekend, hopefully Saturday (if I can get a spare minute to sit down and write!) **

**Thanks for reading :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Author Note: Heres a bright, shiny new chapter! I had such a great time writing this chapter (and the next one). It's like my ff writing stars just aligned XD**

**Anyhow, here's another present day Skye/Simmons chapter for you.**

**As alway, thanks so much for any reviews, favs and follows- you guys rule! **

_Present Day_

"I'm not even going to lie to you, that is one of the cutest things I've ever heard! I mean, seriously, you bump into each other and it's like 'dorky soul mates' at first site" Skye exclaimed, clapping her hands together with excitement. Jemma just blushed.

"Well thank you. From the moment I met him we just clicked. I can't really explain it, but it just felt…" She hesitated, looking longingly at the man laying still beside her, "…right."

Skye nodded. Being betrayed by Miles, and Ward… _I really have the wrong taste in guys… _Had left her feeling awful. She knew what it was like to have a to walk away from a guy she cared about. What she couldn't even begin to imagine was what it felt like to have him cruelly ripped from her.

And she didn't want Simmons to have to find out. _Why can't he just wake up?! He was only without oxygen for a few seconds. Surely he can survive that? Surely he'll wake up soon? _Skye didn't understand the biology like Simmons did. She didn't understand it, but from the way the biochemist checked the charts and looked so defeated, she knew it wasn't good. _It's just not fair! We were finally a team, a family. The family I never had. He was going to tell her. Working up the courage. And then the science babies would have gotten together and had actual science _**_babies_**_… She doesn't deserve to be alone._

"Skye, are you alright?" Simmons asked gently. The former hacker realised that she must've been silent too long.

"Ha, I don't think _you _should be asking_ me_ that question! But yeah, just deep in though, you know? This whole thing is just so unfair- this shouldn't happen to you! Or Fitz… You guys are the sweetest, most innocent and good people, like, ever? How can something so bad happen to you?" The taller woman shook her head at the injustice.

"Well, that is something I've pondered over the last few days. At first I wanted to curse the unfairness. But I'm not a religious person Skye. I am a scientist. I honestly believe the answer to that question is that_ it just can_… I don't believe there's a God pulling the puppet strings, or Karma or anything like that. Fitz had a bit more of a Christian upbringing so he'd always argue for some form of cause and effect. I just think that everything in the universe happens. We took the risk getting onto that plane, and it just so happened Ward dropped the pod. No God against us, just an unfortunate set of circumstances…" she explained in a monotone. This was clearly the truth she had trained herself to believe over the last few days.

"You honestly believe that. That it was just random?" Skye's challenge stirred something in Jemma. The brit now looked slightly angry, and traded the monotone for a louder, more passionate one.

"What else am I suppose to believe? That Fitz is being punished for his actions? You said it, he's the most selfless and good person I know… Or maybe that everything happens for a reason? All part of God's plan? I'm sorry, but I just can't see that Fitz being in a coma- from which even if he wakes up, his memory might be gone- is a blessing in disguise. I want to blame something higher, but the only people to blame are sitting in a cell or six feet under." Her eyes were ablaze. Skye knew not to push her any further. She'd gotten the emotional reaction, now she had to back down.

"Maybe you're right. It just doesn't seem right that this would happen to you guys…" She mused.

"What doesn't seem right to me is that I can't fix it. I'm a biochemist and field medic. I have two phDs. Every problem that's ever come our way, we've been able to fix. I should have the solution by now!" Jemma was still fired up, and now turned the frustration away from Skye and back onto herself. Something she did every time they spoke. It was clear to Skye that Simmons harboured a lot of guilt.

"Simmons, you're a fricking genius! If you can't do it, no one can. Maybe he just isn't ready to wake up yet?" Skye offered.

"He always pulls through for me. Every day I let him lie there, I know I'm failing him." She burst into a flood of tears. Skye didn't know how to comfort her anymore. _I didn't go to the academy. I don't have training for this… What can I say that will make the situation better? _She thought. Then logic kicked in. There was no way to console the crying biochemist that sat next to her. Instead she would tackle the other girl's problems one by one. _Well, I have no idea how to wake Fitz up, so I'll put a pin in that… Food! I doubt she's eaten all day, maybe longer-_

"I'm going to go make us something to eat okay?" She told the crying woman gently.

"Im not really-"

"I know thats not true. You _are _hungry. You're wasting away! Now, do you want a sandwich, or something cooked?" Time to be firm. She cut Jemma off before the excuse could be made. _No backing down this time Skye. 'Operation feed Simmons' _**_will _**_be completed!_

"I guess a sandwich." Simmons reluctantly answered

"Cool, I'll bring some other snacks too, unless of course, you want to help me?" The computer whiz knew this was a longshot, but threw it out there anyway.

"I think I'll stay here"

"Alright, good plan. I've been kinda hogging your alone time with him. Say all you need to say, because after we eat you're going to sleep" Skye smiled as she dropped the second bombshell. Simmons was not impressed.

"I'm not-" She began.

"Bu bu bu" She wiggled her finger in front of the other girls face. "You look like a zombie, so obviously you are tired. Come on, you'll feel better if you get back into some kind of a normal life." She dropped her tone "he wouldn't want you dying in here next to him…"

Jemma's eyes glazed over. She mechanically nodded her head. Skye made her way out of the room to make food, clicking the door shut behind her.

Jemma took her partners cold, rough hand in her delicate one.

"Do you still remember that day, or have you forgotten? I'll never forget. I was so nervous when I first met you. My first friend. My first love, my first everything.

Please wake up. I miss you. I miss you so much. Things aren't the same when you're not here. I have no one to talk science to, or watch Harry Potter with, or share a piece of marmite toast and some tea…

I love you Fitz. I knew from that day. When you agreed to be my partner. I've never been so connected to anyone. And even after everything, the break up… I still loved you. I've never stopped. You're always so hard on yourself, but I'm no better. I didn't have the courage to fight for us, or to tell you how I felt every day after.

You're perfect to me in every way. You pushed that button because you couldn't live without me. Silly Fitz, you never even considered that I felt the same.

I think Skye likes the story of how we met. You were right though, she's utterly swooning. I don't think she can properly imagine what we were like then. I was looking through my photo album the other night and even I find it difficult to remember. We looked so different back then. Before we started dressing professionally. All your jumpers are about six sizes too big and my hair's always a curly mess.

Oh Fitz, wake up soon. I wanted to travel the world, you always knew that. But science is my first love, not Shield. Whilst we've gone through so much with this team, I considered leaving after Hydra came out. Finding a quiet place somewhere that we could research from.

I know you only joined because of me, but you have to know that I _only _stayed because of you, and I don't want to be here without you"

She bent over and gave him a gentle kiss on the forehead. And then the cheek. And the other cheek. Down his jaw. Just like in the pod. Everywhere but his lips. _That is to saved for when he wakes up…_

Just as she sat back down, Skye opened the door, carrying a feast. Wraps, crisps, biscuits, cut up fruit, drinks… everything Jemma could potentially want. She beamed at her friend. She _was_ hungry. Food had been the last thing on her mind, second only to sleep. Now she wanted to make up for the fasting.

"This looks amazing Skye, thank you!"

"No biggy. Trip helped me actually. He had just finished making his quinoa, bulgar wheat, superfood crap and said he'd give me a hand. That guy seriously lives health food and work outs…"

Jemma nodded in agreement, taking a huge bite of a chicken salad wrap.

"This is really good… Now where was I?"

"That super elite hardcore class you were both taking?"

"Oh, of course, Combined Sciences: Practical Problem Solving! Right… Well I think I'll skip to the lecture the next day when we got our first assignment. That was the first thing we ever did together."

Skye winked knowingly whilst Jemma shook her head. After Shield fell, Fitz had been her only reason to stay. Now she could think of at least one more.

**I had to add that last line! I felt too guilty after writing that Jemma only stayed for Fitz (even though I totally think that's hinted at in the lie detector scene- that Fitz feel more aligned to Shield, and Simmons just doesn't know whats right anymore.) especially after how sweet Skye was being…**

**Skimmons friendship is something I love 3**

**There are some definite hints at the content of later chapters in Jemma's little monologue to Fitz. Stay tuned to see more about the rise and fall of that romance…**

**Thanks for reading :) **

**As always reviews are much appreciated.**

**I mentioned last chapter that updates would be more frequent and that begins now. Unfortunately, that means I can't confirm when the next chapter will be up. Fortunately (I hope this is fortunately for you) it ****_does _****mean more updates per week. Yay :) **


	10. Chapter 10

**Author Note: I am trying my best to churn these out quicker. I kinda hate the rush because it means people may be more likely to miss a chapter, but way tcan you do? Just try your best to remember the last chapter number you read. I suppose it's good for those of you who are enjoying the story ;)**

**Anyhow, here's another 2008 flashback chapter: **

This time they were amongst the first to enter Fielding lecture. Being the chivalrous gentleman he is, Fitz held the door and allowed her to walk in first. In true Simmons style, she chose seats on the front row.

"We'll have they best view of the board _and _first pick of any handouts here" she smiled triumphantly. He returned the smile in spite of himself at her cheeriness, even though Fitz's choice would always be the back row or as close to.

The lecture started promptly at 8.30am.

"Now that I have confirmed all of the choices of partners, I see no reason why we don't get right to it…" Professor Fielding pulled out a large black box from under his desk and approached the cadets on the end of Fitz and Simmons' row.

"Take one card per pair. As I have said, the assignments vary in difficulty. The most challenging ones will be marked with a black sticker inside. Good luck to any who have the misfortune of selecting these. Once you have your assignment, you may head down to the labspace. Labs 14- 33 are free. That's right freshmen, a _whole lab to yourself_. You can spend as much or as little time on these assignments as you want. The only rules are that they have to be in in two weeks- the deadline is the 16th, only two of you can work on a project, both disciplines must be incorporated, though not necessarily in equal weigh and most importantly: DO NOT share the details on the card as we will be reusing them. Alright, Thompson, Riley you two get first pick" Fielding shook the box in front of them. First boy, Riley put his hand in the box and pulled out an A6 card that was stapled shut. He tentatively pulled it open and showed it to Thompson. Both boys smiled, stood up and left the class. _Well thats one easy problem gone. _Simmons sighed to herself. She always liked a challenge but she was also determined to prove herself in her new classes, something that would be a lot easier if she has a simple task.

The pattern of one member of the pair picking a card, showing it to their partner and leaving continued along the row until the ominous box was in front of Fitz and Simmons. Fitz gave a subtle nod towards the box, signal that he wanted Simmons to pick. She held her breath, _is it normal to be this nervous?_ and plunged her hand in. She pulled out one that was relatively near the top. _It's not like there's a strategy, it's all random._ She pulled it apart and both members of FitzSimmons let out a disappointed sigh. Before even reading the problem they saw the black dot sticker that signified 'a challenge'.

"Bad luck kids. First black mark of the day." Fielding announced. Then he leaned in a little closer and in a hushed tone continued,

"Just try your best, okay?" They nodded grimly as they gathered up their bags and left the room. Simmons still had the card in her hand. The walk to the adjacent labs was silent, but when the door to lab 22 was closed, Simmons almost burst.

"Fitz I'm so sorry! I probably picked the worst one." She said, anguish dripping from her words.

"Hey, It's okay." He placed a hand cautiously on her arm, in an attempt to clam her down.

"You didn't know what you were going to pick. It honestly doesn't matter. All we can do is try our best, just like Professor Fielding said"

"I just don't want to fail this class…" Simmons confessed in a whisper.

"We won't. Lets have a look at the problem, because I didn't get a chance to read it in there, what with that black splodge and all." He reassured. She handed him the card and to give him credit, he did a good job of hiding the disbelief as he read it.

"**There has been a spill of an unknown substance in a public area"**

"Pretty dire, isn't it?" Simmons commented, her lip curling in resignation.

"I would have used the word vague. I mean where's the rest of it? This doesn't even say what it wants us to do!" Fitz replied, showing the cracks in his positive facade. _I've tried to stay positive for her but I just can't. I'm the pessimistic guy, that's my thing. This assignment is shit and I can't go on pretending its not._ Fortunately, she wasn't expecting him to.

"This is honestly the worst thing I've seen in my life. Well maybe not the worst, that puss filled toe infection I had to diagnose last week was pretty awful but this definitely comes a close second." She sighed. Fitz began tapping his pen on the table impatiently, trying to figure out an answer when his mind was blank. _You picked this assignment, you have to solve it, _she thought. _There was a time when this wouldn't have even phased you. You're Jemma Simmons, high school graduate at 14, Cambridge phD at 17, Shield cadet at 18! They all expect you to be the brightest one here- prove them right! If for nothing else, do it for him. He shouldn't fail this class just because you're stuck in a rut. _

Fuelled by a new determination, Jemma threw a steely glance at the card. She stared at it for several minutes waiting for something to reveal itself. Sure enough, after exactly 7 minutes it did. Jemma scrambled around in her bag, causing Fitz to snap out of his daze. She pulled out a pencil, a highlighter and a pad of paper. She went to work highlighting the buzz words and frantically scribbling in her book.

"Unknown, that means we have to identify it. Spill, that means we have to clean it up. Assuming the substance has 'spilled' it is most likely a liquid. That means that our best step would be a sort of aqua vac."

Fitz rolled his chair around so they were now side by side. He looked at some of her notes.

"An aqua vac wouldn't work, the substance is 'unknown'. That means it could be toxic OR radioactive-" He began to question. She cut him off with a sigh as though he was a year two asking to go to the loo straight after break time.

"Well obviously. In fact we should work on the assumption that it is one or both of those things. That doesn't mean we can't-"

"Hoover it up. Right. we would just need to line the tubing and barrel with something that can withstand that, like lead-" he suggested

"Too heavy. Maybe a concrete reinforced with steel, that would-"

"because thats any lighter? Besides, a lining would only be sufficient in the tubing as the substance only passes over it for a short time. For the barrel, with the rate of radioactive half lives, we would need to find a way to keep it moving. What about a centrifuge? That could help with the identification process as well"

"Maybe" Simmons began scribbling down more notes. This time Fitz retrieved his pad and joined her.

"The centrifuge wouldn't be able to identify the atomic structure of the substance, only the macro structure." She pointed out.

"So?"

"So the compound is 'unknown'. You heard Vaughn's lecture this week. 0-8-4s. It's possible that Shield may be dealing with foreign threats, maybe even other worldly."

"Right. So if the substance is not from this earth, or not of a known nature we would need to analyse it on more than a macro level." Fitz wished she didn't have to be right all the time.

"Exactly, we'd need to analyse it on an atomic level"

"What are you suggesting?"

"I'm not sure" she sat back, looking at her messy pages of notes. She knew what it couldn't be, just not what it could be.

"If we're going to put a different detector in it, the centrifuge will be unnecessarily bulky. Back to square one I suppose" Fitz put down his pen and began scanning the room. The last occupants of the lab had clearly been Shield fanatics, as it was littered with articles, posters and cut outs of all things Shield. From its inception in the war to present day, an entire Shield history was mapped out before his eyes.

_The war! Captain America, Oh my god Fitz, you've done it!_

"We could use vibranium." He said out of the blue. She looked up at his with questioning eyes.

"You know the substance that made up Captain America's Shield?"

"Fitz…" He waited for her to find fault in this idea too.

"… you're a bloody genius! The vibranium would disrupt the entropy of the substance, so any reactions wouldn't be feasible! If it can't react it can't cause harm" She was grinning ear to ear now and began to write at light speed.

"The only problem is the expense, but Fielding said to solve the problem by any means so we might be able to side step that."

"Yeah" Fitz nodded absentmindedly. He was still a little in awe of her calling him a genius. From what he'd gathered of their shared classed, _she _was the genius. He still didn't know much about her, but she'd told him she was 18, just as young as he was.

"Oh my gosh, Its already 3.05pm! Lucky we don't have any lectures this afternoon or-"

"I have a 3.00pm electronic engineering lecture!" He said already, haphazardly picking up his books and rushing to the door.

"I'll try to draw up the plans for that cylinder if you can keep brainstorming analysis techniques?" Fitz suggested, hoping he could run across campus in minus five minutes.

"Of course, I have BioChem lectures all day tomorrow but we can meet up Friday?"

"Alright, lunch at 1 in the mess hall on friday?" He stated more than asked.

"I'll be there…" She said, although he had already left the room

**I apologise to any actual scientists out there. My biology/chemistry knowledge is only A-Level and my physics is only GCSE. I also don't know all the complex workings of vibranium, I sorta made that all up. Not that it matters right- this is only fan fiction XD**

**I definitely won't be updating tomorrow, but I will post the new chapter on Wednesday. Probably afternoon my time.**

**Thanks for reading, reviews are always much appreciated :)**

**Oh, and a shout out to TheLateNightStoryTeller for their story 'Monster Goo', which gave me the inspiration for FitzSimmons lab problem. All of your stories are great!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Author Note: Okay, I know it's late, but it is still Wednesday my time so no promises were broken. The truth is, I was on an absolute role. Not only did I get this chapter done, I wrote the next one (which I will post tomorrow) and have started the one after that! **

**Big thanks to erburnham02 for the science advice about last chapter. It seems some of what I wrote was just technical ramblings that made no scientific sense! I would love to put more time into that section of the story, but I really am eager to get the chapters out now. From now on, I'm going to say suspend disbelief about the science. It's probably wrong, but it adds nothing to the story…**

**That said, I am still open to constructive criticism about it, to make my future fics better :)**

Simmons reached the mess hall at 1.00pm, plans nestled safely in her bag. She was eager to show Fitz her good work.

Fitz was already seated in the far corner booth (their spot) typing away on his laptop when she walked up. They greeted each other pleasantly and went up to order food. Once back at the table they both spoke at once:

"I think I've solved the analysis problem." She said

"The designs are finished" he said simultaneously.

Unlike the first time this had happened, when nervous 'you go first, no _you _go first' had been exchanged, they were no longer phased by speaking over each other. Each was talking and listening at the same time. They exchanged a smile to acknowledge that they had heard what the other had said. Jemma pulled her plans out of her bag and he slid across his laptop.

Silence followed as they inspected each others work, only broken by the 'mmm' of agreements or the sound of pencil scribbling corrections.

"This is perfect Fitz. The design is exactly what we need: lightweight, portable AND you've only used a layer of vibranium 1.2mm thick so the cost shouldn't be too high" Simmons broke the silence. She gave him a genuine look of praise. This made him blush slightly, something that he never outgrew.

"Yeah, thanks. 1.2 is the minimum thickness at which it would still increase entropy to over 250. I still don't know if we'll even be able to get a sample to make the prototype though…" he paused for a moment, deep in thought.

"Your analytical technique looks brilliant though. The ideas of combining mass spectrometry and hNMR through the tubing of the nozzle means that we'll already have specs on the substance before it is separated into a million tiny particle pieces. It'll also perfectly integrate with my design for the vacuum" He finished, repaying her the praise.

"I thought that would be our best bet at determining the elements and functional groups of the substance. I would say that we're ready to go into prototype building phase, but you may be right about the vibranium. If we can't get that, we'll have to go back to the drawing board." She replied thoughtfully, taking a bite of her sandwich.

"I might have actually thought of a way we could get some…" He responded suddenly, as though the idea had just come to him. She shot him a questioning glance.

"We need to go up to my dorm and have a chat with some people"

"Up to your dorm? Nice try Fitz, but I'm not so innocent that I'll fall for that one" She quipped, although she was already putting the rest of her lunch in her bag and gathering up her plans.

"You really think I want to try that with you Simmons? Trust me, if I liked you, you'd know about it" he retorted, a faux 'cool guy' look on his face.

"So you don't like me?" She replied coyly, a small blush threatening to redden her neck

"Well obviously I like you, you're like the best person I know, not that I know that many people. Come on know, lets see if I can haggle us some extremely rare metal." Fitz replied, and began the walk to his dorm. He noticed that she was a few steps behind him and waited for her to catch up. She jogged slightly towards him, and they fell into step. Her loose stands of her hair hung over her face and if Fitz knew better, he'd say she was blushing. _Is she that excited to get the vibranium, or is she just really out of shape? _He asked internally.

_Why did he have to go saying things like that? 'The best person I know.' _Jemma couldn't take complements at the best of times_, _especially when they were personal and from someone she respected and liked_. I guess this is just what having friends feels like. Having nice things said to you, being comfortable with each other. _Jemma was confused by her feelings, but she knew one thing, having Leo Fitz as her friend was something that she never wanted to change.

When he opened the door, she was overcome with the sense of _him. _Whilst she had possessions in her room (her neatly stacked novels, her neatly stacked notepads and textbooks, her neatly arranged cork board), it was interchangeable. Nothing seemed personal in her room. Even her whiteboard simply had a few homework reminders and her schedule tacked to it, whereas in any other college students dorm it would be adorned in personalised scribbles and doodles. Other than the scented lavender candle, her glasses case and whatever book she was reading on the nightstand, people may not think anyone lived there at all.

This on the other hand. It was unmistakably lived in and unmistakably by him. Blue prints decorated every wall and surface. A huge calendar with pictures of space was on the wall above his desk, and even from the doorway she could see that every important date in his entire life was ferociously marked on it in a black sharpie. On his desk was an overflowing toolbox that was responsible for the nuts and bolts and scraps that littered the floor. Also on the desk were about six unfinished models and balled up paper by the bucketload. The room was not untidy per say. There was messiness around the desk area, but that was just because he worked there often, she imagined. As for everything to the right of the stack of Doctor Who DVDs and a selection of novels and other DVDs, there seemed to be order. His dirty clothes had mostly made it to the hamper, his bed was adequately made. All in all, it was a room that completely encapsulated his personality and she had to say, it was a room that she liked.

Fitz ushered her in and muttered a few apologies for the mess, which she shot down instantly.

"It's not really a mess. Besides, you didn't know we'd end up back here." She insisted.

"Thanks. If you really don't mind, you can stay put in here whilst I go sort out this vibranium matter" He said quickly, although hoping she wasn't really listening.

"Stay in here?" Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Do you not want me to come with you?"

"Its not… you see…" he signed, and took a moment to formulate his answer. "The guy I'm talking to can be a little awkward and I think it'd be best if it was just a one on one." What Fitz failed to mention was the real reason. The 'guy' was Adams, and he was worried that he might say something to Simmons. _Something about that day. About the thing that you keep 'forgetting' to talk to her about. _

"Okay," she nodded. She smiled with her mouth, but her eyes betrayed a touch of hurt. _It's to protect you. I will tell you about it. Me not Adams. The time just has to be right._

"Hopefully this won't take too long, so we could always watch a film or something when I get back?" This brightened the look in her eyes. _Is he suggesting to spend time with me? Time not just studying or eating. This really might be friendship!_

"Yeah, that sounds great" She replied, hopefully not too enthusiastically.

"Great, theres a stack of DVDs there, but if you don't like any of those, you can always look online. I'll try not to be too long" he reassured, and went out to find Adams.

/

Luckily, he was in his dorm room when Fitz knocked.

"Hey! Fitzy, what can I do for ya dude? Adams greeted him cheerfully as he opened the door.

"Oh, um hi Adams. I know this is might sound a little weird but I actually wanted to ask you a favour…" Fitz replied a quieter voice than he'd intended. Even now, the older cadet still intimidated him.

"A favour?! What makes you think that I owe you a favour?" He asked, half joking, half annoyed.

"Well, you did sort of terrorise me my first month here…" Fitz knew this was a long shot but it was his only grounds.

"Thats just freshman pranks man, nothing more" The older boy dismissed. Fitz started to get a little angry _FRESHMAN PRANKS! The guy was an out and out bully! _

"Yeah, only I'm pretty sure most freshman aren't afraid to leave their rooms, aren't targeted EVERY DAY! I'm pretty sure that you don't have burns and bruises and scars from pranks that you were the victim of in your first year!" His voice had risen slightly then, but only to the volume of a scornful hiss. Adams' eyes softened slightly with realisation. He was a trainee Shield agent and even for a SciOps cadet that meant learning how to deal with peoples emotions. The 'meet and great' is something that any agent may have to do. They have to understand how people feel, they have to understand their limits. Adams was a cruel boy by nature. Not terribly cruel, but just a bully. Yet, even he could see that he'd pushed Fitz too far.

"Whats the favour" He asked flatly. Fitz looked up at him dumbfounded. "The favour?" Adams prompted.

"Ah yes, um, the thing is… Well me and my lab partner are building a prototype and we need, um, vibranium for the-"

"Vibranium. Do you think _I _have access to that?" Adams asked, mildly amused.

"Well, I thought maybe as a senior…"

"No way dude. But hang on a sec, HANNAH!" he yelled back into the room. A red haired women of about 24 emerged.

"What is it Joe?" She asked. Fitz raised an eyebrow. _Joe? He found it hard to believe that Shield people even had first names. What was Simmons'? He was sure she'd told him. Jenny maybe, no that wasn't right, he'd have to ask her…_

"Do you have access to the vibranium supply at SciTech?" SciTech was like the SciOps's university, where agents went to get further degrees, maybe a second phD or masters.

"Sure, some. Who for… this kid?" She looked Fitz up and down skeptically.

"I sorta owe him a favour. Don't worry, he's like, super smart. Its not like he'll melt his face off or anything." Adams vouched for him. He then gave her a puppy dog look that suggested to Fitz that they were more than friends.

"Alright, alright, I can get some. No more than 16 grams or they'll get suspicious, how much did you need?"

"Only 9 grams actually. And only if your sure you won't get in trouble" Fitz said gratefully, but still unwilling to get his hopes up.

"It'll be fine. We're allowed a certain amount of store cupboard stuff for personal projects. Vibranium is never something I'd use anyway, I'm physics, not engineering…" She smiled fondly at Adams

"I'm actually heading over there later today, is your room around here?"

"3 doors down" Fitz responded

"Cool, I'll try and drop it by on my way back, if not, I'll leave it with Joe and you can get it whenever"

"Thank you so much! Um, thats great then. I suppose I'll see you guys later or… whenever"

"Later Fitzy" Adams replied before closing the door. Fitz hurried back to his own room where he saw Jemma surround by DVDs on his bed. It appeared that she had sorted them into piles of indeterminable categories and was perplexed as to what to watch. She looked up expectantly as he entered. He gave he the thumbs up. Her face broke into a full grin.

"How?!" She asked excitedly

"I know people…" he said, nonchalant. "So, what are we watching?"

"I don't know. I really wanted to watch Doctor Who because its my absolute favourite show, but you don't have any of the christmas specials, which are the best ones, so I don't know which season to watch and…"

"Season one?" He cut her off. "We could start with season one and just work our way through. You know, watch as many as we want, skip the boring ones"

_He's committing himself to watching a show that has about 700 episodes with you. This must be real then. _She smiled ear to ear, finally reassured that this was not a hoax, but Fitz and Simmons was a genuine friendship/partnership.

They settled on the bed, not too close to one another (not points of contact between their bodies) and set up the laptop. They watched countless episodes, until it started to get dark. In between watching intently and quoting their favourite parts, they had many debates about who was the best doctor, side kick, villain etc. Dinner consisted of the crisps and banana Simmons had left over from lunch, split equally between them. The only time either moved was when Fitz got up to make two mugs of tea around the eighth episode. They were snapped out of their trance by a knock on the door. It was Hannah, giving them the sample of vibranium. After about a million 'thank yous'. She left and Simmons caught sight of the clock.

"Is ten o'clock. I should probably get going…" Simmons confessed. She didn't want the evening to end, but she had therapy at 9am so she couldn't be up too late. The sessions were only every Saturday morning now she had convinced her therapist that she had a friend and was on top of her classes.

"Yeah. Wow, that's five hours we'll never get back" Fitz joked.

"I honestly love it so much, I could watch it for another five" She joked back. She couldn't shake the feeling. She felt so at ease around him

"Me too. Hey, now we've got the vibranium, we can make and test prototypes."

"Yeah. Who was that girl that got it for you?" Simmons asked, trying to hide her jealousy towards the beautiful redhead.

"Oh, I don't know her. The guy in my dorm that I asked asked her. I think she's his girlfriend"

"Of course. I was just wondering" She felt the wave of jealousy tide over. _You're just feeling possessive because he's your first friend, your only friend. _"Anyhow, I best be off. I know its a Saturday, but do you want to meet in the lab tomorrow to start work on it?"

"I'd love to" _that doesn't make you seem like an over excited creep, _he sighed "at 11?"

"Yeah. Or, you know, we could get breakfast first. They always have good pastries on the weekend." She suggested.

"I swear you know good breakfast from a mile away," he chuckled "breakfast at 10?"

"I'll see you there" she grinned.

**There's another chapter done! Massive thanks to everyone that has reviewed, followed and favourited this story so far. I may be optimistic, but we may just get this thing done before I have to leave for uni :)**

**Reviews, criticism and compliments, are always welcome. They make me a better writer, and assure me that you guys still like the direction the story is going. **


	12. Chapter 12

**Alrighty! Here's the next installment of Our History.**

**I reached 50 reviews this week and I just want to say thank you so much! My loyal reviewers notapepper, SwifteForeverAndAlways and erburnham02 who have reviewed every chapter, and everyone else that leaves a review. They all make my day :D I am buzzing so much right now, I think I'll write you anther chapter. **

**Enjoy :D**

After what Fitz had to admit was one of the best pastries he'd ever eaten, Fitz and Simmons went to the lab to make the prototype. With the vibranium in hand, the machine was built and tested fairly easily. Then came a over a weeks worth of writing the lab report. They spent every evening together working on it, even pulling a few all nighters. Simmons felt that she had so much to prove with this assignment on account of almost being kicked out of the academy only a few weeks prior. Fitz was determined to keep up with his new partner and not be the weak link of the team. Overall, the finished model and report was utterly flawless, even for their high standards.

_October16th _

Fitz and Simmons arrived at their 8.30am lecture that morning at 8.00am. Both were so nervous about presenting their design, they had spent the whole night up together watching Doctor Who, eating popcorn and fretting about the review. At first Simmons had insisted that they both needed sleep to make the most of the presentation, but after a bit of persuasion on Fitz's part that 'we'll never be able to sleep so we might as well hang out a bit and relax' she was convinced.

Now they were both exhausted, wired on caffeine and nervous as hell.

They sat outside the door and awaited three average and one brilliant presentations before it got to their turn.

"Cadets Fitz and Simmons, are you ready for your review?" Professor Fielding questioned as he gestured them into the lecture theatre.

"Yes Sir" they replied in unison.

Fitz set up the model and Simmons the laptop/projector for the presentation. She then handed each of the three assessors a copy of the lab report.

The presentation seemed to fly by in an instant. As quickly as they had set up, they were disassembling their equipment, shaking hands of the professors and being asked to leave the model behind.

When they were called back the next day, neither expected the response that they received. The professors, Fielding especially, were in awe of their project.

"I have to be honest with the two of you- Combined Problem Solving is a relatively new course with very little success. But what the two of you managed to achieve… in two weeks… at 18 years old! Well our expectations were met and exceeded quite dramatically. The black mark problems such as the one we gave you are so marked because they are actual problems occurring in the field right now. With your permission we would like to deploy the…" he began searching through the papers on his desk before finding the desired plans "Super Vacuum 800" eyebrow raise "into the field immediately"

"Yes!" Fitz replied with a little too much enthusiasm. His dream when agreeing to join Shield was to create tech that would solve real world problems and now only a little over a month into his studies this would come true. He inwardly cursed himself for naming it the _Super Vacuum 800_ and wished he'd listened more to Simmons protests. _That girl seems to know everything! She told me to name it something sensible- how could I know Shield would actually want to use the thing?! Oh god, they want to use it and you just agreed. This is a collaborative effort Fitz! But you didn't even think to ask her opinion did you… _

His thoughts were luckily cut off by Simmons firm agreement to use the vacuum in the field. _You were lucky this time mate, but you need to think more. This is no longer just about you. Fitz and Simmons is a team now and she has every bit as much say as you do._

"Well that is excellent news! Obviously you will both get full credit for the design. I am also awarding you a 100% score for your review as well as extra credits for your success. If you can keep up this standard of work, the two of you will go far in this organisation. I am also going to only offer you black mark projects from now on, seeing as you can clearly take the challenge." Fielding beamed at them. He was just as happy as they were that his collaborative science project had finally produced the team that he knew it could. He was certain these two kids would become one of the most formidable teams in SciOps's history.

"Oh and I have to ask, who's idea was the vibranium, it was truly inspired?" Professor Fielding called after them.

Just as Simmons was about to give Fitz his due credit, he answered first.

"Both of our ideas sir. We went away to make designs and both came back with the idea of a entropy altering metal." He replied nonchalant.

"Well, the two of you really are the perfect team then." The professor replied with a small smile.

Fitz and Simmons hurried out of the lecture hall and across to the canteen.

"Why did you say we both came up with that? It was your idea, you should have been recognised for it" Simmons asked him when they joined the queue.

"My brilliance goes unrecognised every day, this makes no change" he said in a faux self-pitying tone. She snorted as a reply. After spending as much time with him as she had, _could it only be three weeks? It feels like we've been friends forever. _She could identify when he was joking.

He shot her a smile back. "Seriously though, I don't think that should be how this works. Me getting credit for the vibranium. The bloody vibranium would have been useless without your biochem knowledge to figure out the specs. Honestly, to me a collaboration means equal credit for _everything_" he stressed the last word.

Simmons didn't know what to say. She'd lived her whole life having people take credit for her hard work. Now, she and met someone that not only would never do that, but would be fully selfless about everything and work for the team. She felt a blush burning her cheeks.

"Or you just want to establish that rule now to save face for my later brilliance" she quipped in a desperate attempt to hide the blush. It fell flat. Seeing his face she instead opted to go with honesty. _Always the best policy if my mum's to be believed._

"You didn't have to do that. Thank you. It makes such a refreshing change to be on a be partnered with someone as dedicated, generous and just brilliant as you. There is no one I would rather share credit with."

Fitz couldn't believe what she had just said. _I must be dreaming. She called me brilliant. Said that there's no one she'd rather work with. If that is what having friends is like I could bloody well get used to it. I may have only been 3 weeks… can that be right? but I now that there's no one I'd rather share credit with either. I only wish she knew how much of a friend she really is to me. How much she means to me. _

And then a thought crossed Fitz's mind. Something that he could try out. To show her she wasn't just another lab partner passing in the wind. Just someone he was spending time with to pass the year.

"You don't have to thank me. We're a team now Jemma" She grinned ear to ear at this. He was happy he'd took the chance. He liked the way her first name sounded. A way to identify her as a friend not just a colleague.

"A team" she agreed. "Soon everyone in the academy, everyone at shield, will know of the dynamic duo Fitz and Simmons" She joked. Little did they know, over the next few weeks, they would. As they solved more black sticker problems, the word spread.

A pair of 18 year old freshmen that were working to the highest level the academy had seen.

The academy was runing out of things to teach the two science babies, even in the most advanced classes.

The only success of the Combined Problem Solving unit.

Soon the name Fitzsimmons had been spread around the whole academy.

Many didn't even know it was two people.

The rumours started to warp that someone had the tenacity to take Combined Problem solving alone.

Fitzsimmons had specialised in Biochem AND engineering.

Eventually they were the entity of Fitzsimmons. A force that could not be matched even by the brightest other cadets the academy had to offer.

When people did find out that it was a duo, they wanted to talk to them. Wanted to know the budding Shield stars. Of course they still mostly did things exclusively together, but it was nice to have their pick of workmates for bigger group projects or the classes they didn't share. To be welcomed into the Boiler Room, not shunned. They were even invited to a few parties, not that they went.

That is until the big Halloween party of 2008…

**So there's the chapter :D another big event in the FitzSimmons life. **

**How is everyone feeling with the pace? I know that I sometimes do a few chapters on a day and then skip forward two weeks. I would love to write it all in the most detail but that would make the story about 100 chapters! Anyway, I'd love to know what your opinion on it is. And just what you're thinking of the story- leave me a review ;) **

**Thanks for reading! I'm gonna aim to get another chapter out tomorrow or Saturday...**


	13. Chapter 13

**Author Note: Sorry for the delay. I know I said Friday or Saturday but I think I under estimated how long it would take to write this…**

**I also may have underestimated how long it would take to finish the story. I've mapped it out and realistically, getting it done by uni (next Sunday) is not going to happen. I am actually really happy with how this story has turned out so far and I don't want to ruin it (for myself or all you loyal readers) by rushing it. **

**I will still try to update as frequently as possible this coming week, but after that updates may become more sporadic.**

**This is my decision, so sorry to anyone that was hoping the story would end this week, it's just not going to happen…**

**Anyway, here's the chapter :)**

_October 24th_

He wasn't going to tell her. Even though they spent most of their time together and were completely at ease with each other, they had only been friends for about a month. This, in his opinion, was not a very long time. Not long enough to force her into that sort of obligation.

Then she found out.

*buzz, buzz*

"Fitz, your phone is ringing!" she called to him through the shower door. They were comfortable enough in their friendship that she no longer minded waiting in his dorm alone as he washed. _Its not like I'm in the shower with him… He's been in lectures all day. If we're going to make the film on time, we have to leave promptly. His dorm is closer to the bus stop. It just made sense to walk back here and then go. It's logic really. _She rationalised to herself. The truth is she just liked spending extra time with him. She wanted to get ready early so she'd be able to meet him outside his lectures. She wanted to hear about his day. She liked sitting in his room- it made her feel closer to him. Besides, it was nicer than her own. More personally decorated and without the constant banging on the door from the bitchy senior girls trying to annoy her. In fact over the past few weeks she'd spent less and less time in her own room, pretty much only using it to sleep.

"Who is it?" he called back through, clearing debating whether or not to turn the water off and come out.

"It's your mum…"

"Could you just answer it, I'll be out in a minute" he decided. _Answer it! What do I say? How do I introduce myself? I always thought the first time I met his family, it would be in person. Met his family- that sounds wrong. We're only friends, its not like it matters what his mum thinks of me. Would I like her to like me? Of course. Jemma you're overthinking this- just answer the phone before you miss it…_

She grabbed the phone on its final ring and answered it. Before she could get a word in, the woman on the other side began speaking. She had a thicker Scottish accent than her son, but she had probably lived in the country longer. She also sounded surprisingly young, but Jemma concluded voices -like looks- could be deceiving.

"So I'm having to call you now you little bugger?" Her voice was a mixture of affection and slight annoyance.

"What's the point of paying all that money for a phone that makes cheap international calls if ye never call me? Honestly lad, I waited all day yesterday and not so much as a text! All the women at work says he probably lost his phone but I know my boy. Head stuck in a book no doubt… How are you Leo?"

Jemma smiled at the use of his first name. _I forgot it was Leo. Leo. It suits him somehow. I don't know why he hates it so much… _then realised the woman on the other end of the phone was expecting her son to reply.

"Oh… um… sorry. Mrs Fitz? Um, Fitz is in the shower right now actually. He's… um… I think he's just finishing up. I'm his friend. Jemma Simmons-"

"Oh, you're the Jemma that I've heard so much about? Leo would kill me for saying that but its out now eh? It's only 'cus you're his first real friend. Oops, probably wouldn't want me to tell you that either… He's just quite fond of you is all." His mum babbled on. Even though Fitz had told her his mother didn't know much about science, the way she spoke know about her son reminded her of how he talked about his projects. _Doesn't quite think through everything that they say. Speaks a little too fast. Clearly passionate about the subject. It's cute really. _

"Well he's my first real friend too, so I doubt he'd be too embarrassed." Jemma replied to fill the silence.

"Even so lass, my Leo can be a bit funny about these things. Such a sensitive boy at heart. Just has a bit of a gruff personality (the older woman laughed). Well if he's showering in the evening he must be going out, am I right?"

Jemma couldn't help but laugh at this. An 18 year old boy with a phD but his mother still knew him best.

"Yes, we're going to a movie, but it's alright, I'm sure he'll want to talk to you first-"

"Nonsense lass, you two go have fun, just tell him to call me sometime this weekend. I only really called to see if his birthday present had arrived yet. I know it's not till next Saturday but I sent it early so it would arrive on time."

"Oh, um, I'm not too sure. If it has he hasn't told me." Jemma stuttered. She was confused. His birthday was next week and he hadn't bother to tell her. Why not? Had he made other plans without her? _Don't be ridiculous Jemma. He told his mum about you, he clearly thinks you're important. Maybe he just doesn't celebrate birthdays. Or he just doesn't want to celebrate one with you… _Shaking that thought from her head she listened to Fitz's mum finish up the conversation.

"-he call me. It was lovely speaking to you Jemma. Have fun tonight" She said with a tone that implied a little too much before cutting off the call.

Jemma put down the phone and sat on Fitz's bed. The one bad thing about the Shield dorms is that they were all small. The only places to sit were the desk and the bed. She heard the shower stop, and Fitz dry off and get dressed. He was still rubbing a towel over his hair and face when he exited he bathroom. _His curls looks good when they're wet. A little darker and tighter… _She again had to rid her head of an inappropriate thought. She'd been having more thoughts about him in non platonic ways than she'd care to admit recently. Was this how it was being friends with a boy. Having just a little, itsy bitsy crush? She wouldn't know, and he was her only friend so she couldn't ask anyone and find out. 

"I thought my mum was on the phone?" He looked at her quizzically.

"She was, but she said for you to call her back sometime tomorrow or Sunday. She didn't want to make you late for tonight…"

"Oh right, did you tell her we were going out?" Jemma's eyebrows shot up. Fitz blushed furiously.

"Not out, I mean out tonight. But not that kind of 'out tonight'. Just to the cinema. As friends." He stammered, trying to cover up the awkwardness. Jemma couldn't help but giggle.

"I don't know if I was quite as articulate as that, but yes. She also wanted to know if your present had come… It's your birthday next week- why would you not tell me?" Jemma was unable to hide the slight hurt toward the end of the question. She hadn't intended to be confrontational but for some reason she couldn't let this slide.

_Great, she sounds upset. You should have just told her you numpty. You could have avoided awkwardness by telling her she didn't have to get you anything, but you should have given her the choice. She may have even wanted to do something to celebrate. That's what friends do right? Celebrate birthdays together… _Fitz took in the confusion and slight betrayal on her face. She bit the corner of her lip and furrowed her eyebrows a touch. He wanted nothing more than to envelop her in a hug, and tell her he was sorry. Then maybe kiss her forehead. Then her lips… _No! There is a line. A very definite line that should not be crossed. Get those thoughts out of your head mate, because that would very much be crossing that line!_

"Look, Simmons… I just didn't want to make it awkward for you. We haven't know each other for that long. I didn't want you to feel you had to get me something, or organise anything…" he confessed, not even looking her in the eye. To his surprise, she let out noise of disbelief.

"You didn't want it to be awkward for me? It would have been more awkward when I eventually got round to asking you and you would have had to tell me that its already been! Silly Fitz. I know I don't have too, but if I can't get a birthday present for my best friend and think of a way to celebrate with him, who will I do those things for? She shook her head with a smile.

"Now lets go catch that bus, and you're going to tell me the whole way there what we should do to celebrate."

"Simmons, you don't have to-"

"Fitz! Don't be silly. I _want _to. You don't have a birthday every day you know."

She shot him a warm smile and he returned it with a full grin. He could think of much worse way to spend his evening than planning his birthday with Simmons. He hadn't had a party since he was eight (a terrible ordeal) but this time it might just be okay. With her by his side, how could anything go wrong?

The sat and planned on the bus. Ideas were thrown around and shot down. When they arrived at the cinema, they were no closer to a birthday plan than when they had left.

"I know that you think a party would be best Simmons, you've only told me so a hundred times-" she rolled her eyes at him, "but how are we going to manage it. We'd need a guest list, which will be hard to make because we don't have that many mates." He turned away from her and towards the concession stand worker. "Two popcorns and two cokes please. Yeah by card…" He swiped his card and handed her her food.

"Not to mention a venue. The Shield dorms are hardly big enough for the two of us, and I doubt we could book the boiler room at such short notice." He concluded, opening the door to the screen for her. They made their way to the allocated seats.

"I know, I know… it would be (she put on a gruff Scottish accent) 'a logistical nightmare'. I'm not the only one who repeats myself." She teased. The trailers started so they continued the conversation in hushed tones.

"Its just, your only birthday party was a nightmare. I thought as your first real friend, I should throw you a better one." Simmons said with no hint of amusement in her tone. This was something she had really set her sights on doing. Fitz hated to be the one to stand in the way of that.

"And you will. Just not this year… I just don't see how we could pull it off." He replied, his tone apologetic even though he was being the reasonable one. He gave her shoulder a gentle bump with his own. She shot him a small smile. They sat together in silence throughout the whole film.

On the bus ride home, no mention was made of birthday plans. They discussed the film (at length) and their plans for the weekend. All in all, the subject was completely dropped. A silent agreement made that the birthday would not be an exciting ordeal. The day would probably be spent like every other Saturday, watching films, going for a walk etc.

This agreement lasted until they both said goodnight and reached their respective dorm rooms, for on the doorstep was the answer to all their problems.

**You are invited to the 'Hottest Halloween Party of the Year!' **

**When: Friday Oct 31st, 20:00-**

**Where: 732 West Oak St (Sarah, Gwen and Bex's House) **

**Attire: MUST BE IN COSTUME**

**p.s. don't break our stuff.**

**p.p.s. bring alcohol :P**

They didn't need to organise a party, someone had done it for them.

As soon as she read the invite, Jemma eagerly called Fitz to check he had one too.

"This is perfect Fitz! An off-site party the day before your birthday… I don't think you could be any luckier" She gushed. Even though he could't see her, he could picture the massive grin she was no doubt sporting. _She's buzzing. I think I could be plenty luckier. I could win the lottery. I could receive the Noble prize. No. I'm not going to damper her spirits. This party might actually be fun. She'll be there. And at least its the day before my actual birthday…_

"Yeah, what a stroke of luck" he said, mustering up as much enthusiasm as he could.

"I just know it will be a great night. I heard some people in my chem class talk about one of Sarah's parties before and say how amazing it was. Well its late now so we'll talk more tomorrow. We might have to go costume shopping…" Jemma mused. Sarah, Gwen and Bex were in their 4th year, so they worked some and had saved enough for an off site house. This meant Shield had no control over anything that happened in it, even parties.

"Alright, I'll see you at breakfast" He replied. They said goodbyes and hung up the phone. _Costumes?! As if parties weren't bad enough as it. Her expectations may be too high. It'll just be a bunk of drunk people making fools of themselves. Not my idea of a good night. _He thought to himself as he drifted off to sleep

At breakfast they decided to not wear matching costumes. People already thought of them as a couple. Besides, this way they'd be able to surprise each other. Work and costume planning and present buying (by Jemma) made the next week chaotic.

Before they knew it, 6:00pm on October 31 had rolled around, and it was time to get ready for the first real party of their lives.

**I tried to make this a longer chapter to make up for not posting it when I said I would…**

**I know, I know, I keep making a big deal of a date (the halloween party of 2008) and then not getting to it the next chapter. Haha, I'm terrible :P**

**That party will be the topic of next chapter. Maybe the next two if its too long….**

**Anyway, thank you for reading, I would love it if you could leave me a review. **

**I will try to get the next chapter up asap, and I can promise a bit of underage drinking, partying and romantic stylez (just maybe not what you expect?) **


	14. Chapter 14

**Okay, so I was going to post this as two chapter because its sooooo long, but I couldn't deprive you of getting the whole party at once. For those of you who don't like long chapters, I have to apologise, this one is about 5 and a half thousand words : /**

**The ideas just kept flowing….**

**Anyway, I want to say my routine thank you to my loyal reviewers and readers. When I see the traffic stats and reviews, I get so overwhelmingly happy. You guys are truly the greatest.**

**I may have unintentionally used some of my english party/drinking lingo, so if there's any words you don't get, you can PM me or leave them in a review and I'll get back to you :)**

**Here's the chapter:**

_October 31st 6.00pm_

She had to meet Fitz at 7.30 if they were going to make it to the party on time. The house was about a 45 minute walk away, so they would arrive 'fashionably late'. At the moment she was on her way to another girl's dorm room for a 'pre party/getting ready party'. Jemma didn't really see the point of this, but the girl (Lacey Green aka 'Snow' because of her almost white hair) had insisted.

After knocking, she was greeted by about 6 other female cadets that she recognised from her Combined Sciences and Biochemistry lectures. Snow was at the front of this group.

"Simmons! I am actually so psyched you could make it! We were worried you'd back out…" she greeted the girl with a half hug, trying not to spill her drink. Most of the other cadets in the room were second years, and they were all at least 21.

"What are you drinking S?" A second year molecular biology major named Dennings asked her.

"Oh, um… I'm actually only 18, so I can't have anything…" Simmons muttered, embarrassed by being the youngest, as always.

"Bullshit! This is a party! No ones gonna rat you out. Besides, we'll be off campus in a few hours so it won't matter…" Dennings insisted.

"But its against the law" The younger girl pointed out. Snow emerged from the kitchen with a red plastic cup, which she handed to Simmons.

"Yeah, but you're totally legal in England right? If you get caught- which you won't- just say you forgot the laws were different here." She pushed the cup a little more towards her. Simmons was in turmoil. _It's wrong! You aren't one to break the rules, let alone the law. But you don't want to be the party pooper. Its only a little alcohol. Snow is right, you had to fly over here on your 18th. You missed your chance to go out and get smashed. You DESERVE this. _

"Alright, fine. What harm can it do?" Simmons took the cup and replied with a smile. She took a sip. It wasn't the best thing she'd ever tasted but it certainly wasn't the worst. Coke with some kind of spirit in it. _Rum? Vodka maybe? _She honestly didn't know. Other than that glass of wine she had last christmas, Jemma had never had alcohol before. It wasn't as big a deal as she thought it would be.

"Awesome S, now lets make this a party! I'm gonna be doing hair for the next hour so if anyone wants anything say now" Dennings turned on the speakers to blare out a generic pop song. She moved towards a mirror and turned on a set of curlers and straighteners. A few of the cadets went up to her and made hair requests. One, Grace, was going as Raggedy Anne, so began to have her hair made into ringlets.

Snow approached Jemma from behind.

"What about you Simmons, what're you gonna be tonight?" She asked.

Jemma was reluctant to answer. She had intended on costume shopping all week for a pre made one, but between classes and the more important matter (in her opinion) of getting Fitz the perfect present, the time slipped away from her. Instead she scoured the internet for simple costume ideas before landing on one she had all the parts for.

"Lara Croft" She mumbled. When she found it she thought it was perfect. _Brown short shorts- got it, white tee shirt- got it, boots got 'em. _The only thing she had trouble with was the utility belt, but she decided to make do with a regular belt with a few bits safety pinned on. All in all it was a rather good effort for the time she'd put in. However, now she felt self conscious that the other girls would laugh at her for picking such a sexual icon. _They all already think me the child of the group…_

"Oh, awesome. You will totally pull that off! And it works too because you're, like, British and stuff" Snow gushed. Jemma smiled at the response. She was beginning to enjoy having people in her life that didn't torment and laugh at her, even if she wouldn't call them friends. _Fitz is my only real friend. Then again, when you have a friend as good as Fitz, what more do you need?_

"So you'll want Dennings to straighten your hair right? Den, do you think you could do Simmons next? Awesome!" She called back to the other cadet before Jemma had time to answer. _I suppose Lara Croft does have straight hair… _She pondered. Like with alcohol, Jemma had never really styled her hair before tonight. Sure, she did different ponytails and braids, but never straightened, curled to dyed it. She never had the time or the occasion. _Tonight seems to be the night of firsts…_

And it was.

As Fitz made his way to his dorm to get ready for the party, he was intercepted by a 'James Bond' dressed Adams.

"Fitzy, Hey! It feels like its been forever man!" The older cadet greeted him. _We were in Advanced Mechanical Engineering together this morning you prat! _Fitz thought, although he knew better than to say this aloud- Adams, Aidan and Wilson had been making an effort to be more friendly with the younger boy, the least he could do is return the favour. _Or I could tell him to piss off and get out my way? _He smiled to himself. _But I doubt Simmons would take well to me getting beat up right before the party…_

"Hi, Adams" He finally decided to go with, sending him a smile that didn't reach his eyes. After the bathroom incident, the three ogres (as Fitz still internally referred to them) had been more pleasant to him. Furthermore, Adams had helped him get the vibranium. Even still, Fitz found it hard to be too chummy to his former tormentors. _Nobody's born evil, but Adams is damn near close._

"So are you going to Bex's party or what man?" Adams asked him almost uninterested.

"Yeah, sure. I'm actually about to get changed now"

"Sick, what're your pre drink plans? Don't tell me you're gonna go in there and down, like, a bottle of whiskey alone?" He half joked half teased. Even after everything, Adams was finding it the hardest to be fully pleasant to the soon-to-be-19-year-old engineering prodigy.

"Oh… well I hadn't really intended on pre drinking" The younger boy answered, not expecting the look of horror this statement would receive.

"Man, I don't know how you do it in Ireland, but here in America, you cannot show up to a party sober! Seriously man, thats a big no no" Fitz was about to respond that 1. he was from _Scotland_ and 2. he didn't care, he wasn't even planning on drinking tonight- it's illegal, but he was interrupted by Adams finishing his rant.

"I don't even care what you're gonna say. Put on you costume and come to Wilson's room at 7. This is NOT optional" he pointed his finger in Fitz's face for emphasis before walking off to said room, where Fitz could hear some kind of dance tune being blasted out of a laptop. _Well I guess I have to go to that then… I really don't know about drinking tonight. What if Simmons goes all 'obey the rules!' on me? I don't want her to judge me for this…._

So he went into his room, and before changing, texted Simmons.

**To: Jemma Simmons**

**Hey, I know this is kinda random, but what's your opinion on drinking tonight? **

He typed. Then, deeming this was too impersonal, he added:

**Oh, and how was your day today- is Biochem still a walk in the park? ;) And how's that thing with Snow going? **

He sent that. _My mother did teach me manners after all._ After only about two minutes his phone buzzed.

**To: Leo Fitz**

**Hey! Yeah, my day was alright, thank you for asking. Biochem is still my life's passion, so thats good :P The pre party at Snows has been quite enjoyable actually. Dennings is doing my hair, and Snow's about to do my make-up. I think they think of me as a little sister they have to take care of. That, or a barbie doll… **

**Um, I don't know about drinking, what about you?**

The text made Fitz smile. He found it adorable that she referred to Biochem as 'her life's passion'. He could also completely relate to being coddled by older students. During his time at MIT, a group of older girls had tried to take him under their wing and mother him. This all got to much, and lets just say Fitz's 'prickly personality' ended that relationship on a sour note.

He was slightly less impressed that she bounced the question back to him. _Urg, I want and answer woman, not the same question back! _Sighing he formulated a reply.

**To: Jemma Simmons**

**So your opinion on drinking is… XD **

**Well, if I'm honest, some of the lads are insistent I have some and I think I will. **

Send

**To Jemma Simmons**

**If thats okay with you?**

Send

**To: Jemma Simmons**

**Because I don't want to make you uncomfortable or you to think I'm just being a sheep. **

Send

Before he could continue his pathetic string of texts, he received one from her.

**To Leo Fitz**

**Well thats good then. I'm already two ****_coke-and-unknown-spirit _****s in…**

**See you in the square at 7.30- don't be late :P **

He was both shocked and relieved. He hoped that she'd turn a blind eye to his rule-breaking, but he never thought she'd join him. _Well you learn something new everyday. I guess that after the two months she'd had, Simmons is just as ready to have a good time as you are. _He smiled, and hoped tonight really would be a good night.

Throwing his phone on his bed, he began to take off his tee shirt and jeans and change into his costume. After much consideration, and very little spending- _I am literally going to be in the poor house if I'm not careful_- he went with Frodo Baggins. _I love Lord of the Rings, I have all the stuff_ _(ish) and at least it will show that I can take all the short jokes. I you can't beat them, join them._

So he put on a white button down, brown shorts, a brown bed sheet that he had safety pinned into a cloak, flip flops and some hobbit ears (the only expense of his costume). Accepting that he may not have done best job but he was certainly recognisable, he grabbed his phone and key and headed to Wilson's.

"Come on out S, I'm dying to see you!" Grace shouted, already a little bit more than a little tipsy.

Jemma emerged from the room in full costume, with her straightened hair pulled strategically into a messy ponytail, and full make-up, including lashings of eye liner, mascara and smokey eye shadow. _I hope Snow didn't go to heavy on the make up… I normally only wear a bit of mascara and lipgloss. I think this is my first time wearing liner. _Although she did have to admit, the older girl had done a fabulous job. She'd opted for very dark brown instead of black to bring out her eyes. _They do look bigger and brighter. But is it too much? I don't remember this top being so tight, or these shorts so short. _She surveyed the room. _In fairness, Veal is in hot pants and a bikini top and ears being a 'cat', and Cole is being a 'witch' by wearing a child's tutu and corset. At least I'm not the worst one here._

"Wooh! Simmy, you look hawt!" Snow approved.

"Damn gurrrrl!" Another drunken cadet agreed.

"Its almost perfect, but take off the top" Dennings said. This was met with hysterical laughter and a room full of suggestive comments.

"I mean, I wanna fix it up for you" She continued when some of the commotion wore down.

"I don't-" Jemma hesitantly began.

"Trust me S. Just a little alteration. We're all girls here, no one's gonna judge." She held out her hand for the top. She waited a second before moving closer, clearly not going to give up. Simmons reluctantly took it off, before crossing her arms in the coffin position and turning away from the group, thankfully now focused on refilling their drinks.

She heard a menacing *SNIP* before it was handed back to her. Putting it back on she realised it was now several inches shorter. What had originally been able to be tucked into her shorts, now sat comfortably, just above her navel.

"If you're gonna bring it, _bring it _S. See who can ignore you at the party now!"

The group now looked back round. There were a few wolf whistles and cheers.

"Looks like Simmons is all grown up!" Snow cheered. "I think that calls for a round of shots ladies!" She grinned, pulling out shot glasses and filling them with vodka.

"To Simmons, our little protégé… The student is ready to become the master!" Snow declared and they all downed their shots. _Bloody hell! _Simmons thought, a sick feeling going to her stomach. _This is the worst thing I've ever tasted. Note-to-self, never do shots again…_

This was a vow she kept for about the next hour.

"Have another beer Fitzy" Aidan (Batman) insisted, handing one to the younger boy.

"I've already had two, I don't want to be drunk before I get there…" Fitz replied, hesitantly.

"Three beers won't get you drunk man" Wilson (A surfer? _Or just a pillock, although that's not really costume for him… _Fitz guessed) chipped in.

Fitz relented, and took the beer. Seeing that he only had ten minutes before he had to meet Simmons, he chugged it down far too quickly.

"Atta boy! You finally got the hang of this Fitzy" Adams slapped him on the back, a bit too hard to be friendly.

"Thanks. And thanks for the drinks guys. I have to go now though. I'm meeting some people in the courtyard to walk up."

"Walk? We're taking Adams car if you want a ride?" Wilson offered, although the look on Adams face did not extend the offer.

"Its okay, this is already arranged. I'll see you all at the party" Fitz responded, and left the room before anything else could be said. He didn't want to make Simmons wait. That said, his walking was also not helping. _Maybe you had that last beer to quick mate. Has walking always been this hard? _Like Simmons, Fitz had never had a drink, expect for the pint he had with his mum on his 18th birthday. It wasn't even in a pub, she'd bought him it back in a travel mug all the way from the diner in which she worked. _Always doing sweet stuff like that. She always provided for me no matter the cost to her. _He knew that the sudden gush of love for his mother was due to his slight intoxication, but he meant it none the less. _No matter what happens tonight, I have to call her tomorrow. _He noted.

As he approached the square, he saw her. The dimming light of October dusk on her ivory skin made her glow. _She looks like a bloody angel… _he thought. He tried to put that thought down to the booze too, but he couldn't fool himself. _Her costume, her hair, her make up! She looks stunning. Too good for me. We shouldn't be entering the party together, I only weigh her down. _

But Simmons didn't think this way. As soon as she caught glimpse of him she bounded over, all be it a little shaky herself. _I guess she wasn't kidding about those pre-drinks…_

"Fitz!" She pulled him into a warm hug. One that he happily returned.

"You look amazing! Wow, button downs suit you! Why don't you wear them more often? I suppose I'm not really one to give fashion advice. But seriously. This is a good look for you. And you are… Oh. Of course. Bilbo Baggins right? Yes of course I'm right, you've got the cloak, and the feet and the ears. I LOVE Lord of the Rings. No, I'm not joking. I've probably read them all 100 times. Maybe more for the first one. That's my favourite. And the films. You look just like him…" She finally drew breath when she lost herself in a daydream- probably about the Lord of the Rings movies.

Fitz couldn't help but chuckle in reply. She could normally talk at a mile a minute, especially about science, but this was a whole new level. This was a lightyear a minute, and without pausing. It was also considerably less articulated than the Simmons he had gotten to know. He wasn't sure when her birthday was, but he was sure that she hadn't had much more experience at this than he had.

"Thanks Simmons. But if anyone should be complimented on their costume its you. You are absolutely beautiful…" He commented before he could stop himself. Her blush was noticeable, but not uncomfortable or awkward.

"And you're… Tomb Raider?" He asked, praying that the guess was right. _She's so gorgeous, I can't picture anyone but her…_ He hoped these inappropriate thoughts would seise at some point during the night.

"Yes!" She squealed, equally pleased that he had recognised her.

"Lara Croft to be precise. I'm so glad you could tell, I was a little worried-" she began to trail off.

"There's no one else you could be" Fitz reassured, the double meaning going straight over Simmons' head in her drunken state, "Now lets get to this party!"

/

The walk to the party was slow. Not as slow as the walk home (although they didn't know that now) but slower than it should have been. This was mostly down to the fact that they were both tipsy for the first time, and that the heels on Jemma's boots were impractically high.

So they walked at a snails pace.

Neither really minded. They chatted, cleared their heads in the cold, and generally just enjoyed each other's company. It was moments like this that Simmons had come to most look forward to in her increasingly busy life. Moments when there was no responsibility, and she could just be herself with her… her… _whatever it is Fitz is to me._ She would normally use the word 'friend', or rather 'best friend', but increasingly and especially tonight, this no longer felt appropriate.

_Not everything needs to be categorised Jemma! Fitz isn't a science experiment- he doesn't need to be labelled and filed away in the correct draw. Right now, its okay for things to be ambiguous. _Is what her head told her. But her heart was screaming that it _did _have a classification for him, just one she may not be ready for.

And after an hour of this walking, and talking, and pleasant silences filled with inappropriate thoughts, the pair arrived at the party. They were cold, and a little tired, and nowhere near sober.

After knocking, and equally drunk Sarah opened the door and greeted them like they were the royal family.

"Oh my god! FitzSimmons!" She slurred, opening her arms for an awkward three person hug.

"I am so glad you made it! The party has already gone off with a bang, so you kids better get in here and catch up."

They made their way past the welcome committee, who was already enthusiastically greeting another set of guests at the door, and into the kitchen. Bex was waiting there (fittingly costumed as a 'slutty' waitress) to serve them some drinks. She handed them each a jello shot.

"Everyone has to do a jello shot on arrival- house rules!" she grinned. FitzSimmons exchanged a silent conversation that basically went 'whats a jello shot?' 'no idea' 'oh well, cheers?' before downing the red slime. Simmons choked a bit on the way down. It was sweeter and surprisingly more solid than she had expected.

"Yeah, the jello wasn't setting quick enough, I think we put too much alcohol in. We had to put it in the freezer to harden up. Some bits got a little more icy than other…" she explained as Fitz patted Simmons on the back.

"Don't worry Bex! I'm totally fine- better than fine, I'm marvellous" She rambled.

"Great, because I have actually been tasked with a little mission tonight that you guys seem to have already had the headstart on…" The older cadet confessed

"Wha's tha'?" Fitz questioned, his accent getting thicker as he became more intoxicated.

"To get Shield's golden pair of science babies blind drunk!" She yelled, earning cheers from the other people in the kitchen. Before either could answer, they were being handed more shots…

It didn't take long for FitzSimmons to become wasted. They were young, inexperienced and fuelled by the energy of everyone at the party. They may have left their dorms with the intention of being reasonable tonight, but that was out of the window now.

Both Fitz and Simmons stayed glued to the others side almost the whole night, with exception of bathroom breaks. They had a chance to talk to their fellow cadets, who that night learned that the 'science babies' (as they were dubbed at the party) were actual people, with actual lives, that wanted to wind down like the rest of them. This made the duo the stars of the party. Everyone wanted to hear them talk about what they really thought of the academy, and the professors, without the constrains of a 'classroom' situation.

Hours passed like minutes. It got the point in the night when they were both too drunk to converse with people. At this point, they joined the other fun-lovers on the dance floor aka the lounge, and danced. They mostly did silly dances with a wider group of friends, but when the night started to slow down, they just danced together.

They started opposite each other, just moving with the music. However, Fitz used the liquid courage he had consumed all night to make the first move. He tried not to overthink it. _Just put your hands on her… NO! Not like that, not in a sexual way… Just… just put them on her hips, or around her waste. It's really not a big deal. Just don't give her a chance to turn you down. It's better that whatever this is… _And 'whatever this is' was practically their life right now.

So quickly (in a matter of days, maybe a week) their relationship had reached this place. No longer friends goofily dancing together, but nothing more. Just two people, opposite each other. Two people afraid to touch the other for what it might mean. Two people wishing the gap between them would just disappear.

He was done wishing.

He moved forward and put his hands on her lower back, pulling her closer. She let out a small gasp at their sudden proximity, but responded by wrapping her arms around his neck.

The moments that followed felt like and eternity. For the first time in their lives they could be who they were. Two young drunk teenagers, dancing together at a party. Their phDs and places at the a prestigious government academy didn't matter. For the next few minutes, they were Jemma and Leo. They were undefined but it didn't matter. She could stay like this forever. So could he.

But its funny how an eternity can suddenly just end. Although it wasn't sudden at all, it felt like a cold slap back into reality. The music was fading. People were coming up to them and saying their goodbyes. The party was ending. Fitz took a look at the clock. 3am. They both pulled away and suddenly the moment was gone. Like a ballon let-go by a small child. They could see it floating away, but neither could catch it.

Jemma felt like a dagger turned in her heart. _Too close. You got too close. You just have to get home. You're both drunk, you have to sleep it off and deal with it in the morning. _Trying to convince herself that this could wait, she shot him a grin. He instantly returned it, happy that the walk home would not be and hour of awkward silence.

"Best we be off too" She slurred. Drunk didn't even begin to cover her current state. They said goodbye to the other guests, thanked the hosts and left. Out again in the cold, they began the walk home.

Ironically, they saw Adams and Hannah coming out of the party.

"Fitzyyyyyyy!" he called, not much more sober than they were.

"Adams, hey mate, yer alrigh'?" The scot replied

.

"Great man, great. You remember Hannah right?"

"Oh yeah, Simmons, this is who got us tha' vibranium sample" he beamed to Simmons.

"Really! Oh my gosh, that was soooo helpful of you!" She stumble on the 'so' before giving the older girl a hug.

"Any time guys. A friend of Joe's is a friend of mine" She replied, clearly the most with it of the group.

"Thanks again for that sample Hannah, seriously, thank you. You made the whole project possible. We were at a complete loss-" Simmons began to ramble. Fitz cut her off with a gently hand on her shoulder.

"-Oh right. Yes. Well we'd better start that long walk home" She finished, turning her attention to her lab partner.

"Walking?! Its a hellova walk guys…" Adams commented, a hint (*hint*) of concern in his voice.

"Yeah, and its been raining, some of those paths'll be near flooded" Hannah agreed.

"We'll be fine. We're British, we can handle the wet… How're ye gettin' home?" Fitz said firmly.

"If you're sure. Hannah had a place a few blocks from here" Adams said smugly.

"Rite, well see yer around" Fitz turned away. Simmons gave an enthusiastic wave before bounding to catch up with him. She stumbled a bit and he put his arm around her waist to steady her. She put hers around his because she wanted too.

This walk took almost twice as long as the walk there. They hadn't encountered any of the infamous puddles they should be so weary of. Then they turned one of the final corners.

"I think we should got to a party like that every Friday night! Everyone was in costume, the decoration. Oh, I love holidays! Although halloweens not really a holiday- not in the way we celebrate it anyway. Did you know the holiday we know as halloween originates from the Gaelic harvest festival of…" her voiced stopped when he stopped walking. Looking down, she saw the huge swampy puddle blocking the path between them and the academy's east pedestrian entrance. She let out a small 'oh'.

_Good day to wear suede heel boots Jemma… _She thought bitterly. Just as she was about to brainstorm ideas of how to get across, she was swept off her feet- literally. Fitz had picked her up bridal style and was carrying her calf deep through the water.

_That looks disgusting, I can't let her walk through that. Look at what she's wearing, it'll get ruined! I have to carry her. My mother raised a gentleman._

Before Jemma could even express her astonishment at the heroic act, he was setting her down on the other side, in front of the panel. She slowly and purposefully entered the code and stepped to the side for the iris scan. The academy knew that it couldn't 'control' its students coming and going, so instead had to make it extra hard to get in or out. She used all of her will to keep her eye open and focused. _Oh my god thats bright! Why must it be so bright?! I hope to god they don't measure pupil dilation, otherwise Fitz and I will be in big trouble…_

**Simmons, Jemma Louise**

The AI announced. The door opened, only enough for her to go through.

Fitz followed the same procedure. Code and then scan.

**Fitz, Leopold Andrew**

They were thankfully reunited seconds later. The east entrance of the academy opened right near Fitz's dorm block. Not to disturb other sleeping cadets (although it had seemed like the entire academy had been at that party) they moved soundlessly to his front door. He scanned his thumbprint to get in and made his way upstairs. He used the key to open his door and they both entered his room. It was only then he noticed they were both there. _She's followed you. It's a drunken force of habit. Now you have to get her back to her dorm. That's almost a mile away. And you're bed is right here and its late and you're tired…._

"Hang on a minute, what am I doing? This isn't my room." The same train of though must've just gone through Simmons head as she mused. _You're friends. Friends crash together. Its only because you're different genders that you think its weird. _Actually that was a good point. Besides, he could take the very limited floor space.

"No yer right… But don't worry, you can sleep here. You take the bed, I'll take the floor" He offered.

"Floor? You have pretty much no floor space. No, that's a ridiculous idea. We'll both take the bed, it's not unusual for best friends to share a bed if they have to…"

Fitz gulped. _I don't know if thats a good idea… What if- _he cut off his own thoughts

"Yeah, s'pose you're right. I'll change in the bathroom, do you need a tee shirt or something?"

"Yes, a tee shirt would be very helpful actually." She took the faded grey tee he offered her. He emerged from the bathroom in shorts and a tee shirt to find her in a one of his shirts and nothing else. _Thats not true, she's probably still wearing her pants… _He thought as he took stock of the pile of clothes on his desk. Her underwear may still be on, but her floral lacy bra most certainly was not, and the sight of it on his desk amongst his plans made him blush.

She stumbled past him to the bathroom and returned minutes later with most of the make- up scrubbed from her face and her hair falling straight past her shoulders. _I don't know if I like her with straight hair. Well I don't not like it. I think it's impossible for her to look bad…_

He was already in bed as she made her way to the other side, switching off the light as she went. Unintentionally, she ended up crawling in so they were face-to-face. Neither moved. Jemma caught sight of his digital clock. It read 5.12am.

"Hey, its Saturday, that means its your birthday. How does it feel to be 19? I have your present back at my room, I'll give it to you tomorrow. Or later today? I don't know, we'll have to see… Happy Birthday" She whispered.

"Thank you" He smiled back

"Was the party everything you hoped it would be?" even in the dim light, her eyes bored into his soul.

"And more" he replied honestly. He'd never imagined he would get invited to a party like that, let alone attend AND enjoy himself. He could already see the ways she was changing him, and he liked it. He liked that she had thought he was worth changing with.

"I feel the same way. I had a really good time tonight" Her voice quieter with each word. There was still so much that he didn't know about her- and her about him- but she already loved the way they were together. With him, its easy…

Jemma decided it was her time to make the first move. _He's taken charge all night. You know what you want, so take it. _

In a flash their lips were together. It was sweet and quick, only lasting two or three seconds. No tongues were involved, it wasn't that kind of kiss. It was the kind of kiss that was filled with built up emotion. It promised a million more kisses on a million more nights. It was filled with friendship and togetherness and love.

And as quickly as they were together they were apart. For one moment after, theirs eyes locked. Friendship alone was now out of the question. In that moment, everything changed.

"Good night Leo" Jemma broke the silence with a whisper

"Night Jemma" And they both turned away from each other and lay in silence until sleep came.

**A kiss! :D I know the drunken kiss is a cliche, but the opportunity was just too good to pass up. I also realised I haven't flashed forward in a while, so next chapter will definitely start with Skye's reaction to this chapter…**

**I hope you liked the party, feel free to leave me a review. I only takes a sec and they really make my day :)**


	15. Chapter 15

**Author Note: Oh my god, it has been so long since I've posted (or at least it feels like it has). To make up for it, here's another long chapter. I have some other bad news for the loyal followers of this story. University has been a crazy busy experience so far. And I've only been here two days. Anyway, this means that this story is going to have to take a hiatus until I fit into a more normal routine and get some time to write. I actually finished this chapter before I left but didn't get a chance to post it. **

**I'd love to say that I'm not going to take more than a month off from this but I can't make any promises :(**

**I also realise that that's going to make this even more of and AU story as we'll find out how/if Fitz wakes up and what he remembers much before I finish my take on the events. **

**On the plus side, a new episode airs TONIGHT! I may have to stay up till like 3 in the morning to watch it XD**

**On with the chapter~**

_Present day_

"YOU AND FITZ KISSED?! I knew it! I knew it, I knew it, I knew it! That proposal thing is starting to make a little more sense now- you guys were totally a couple! Oh my god, Trip so owes me ten bucks… He was all 'they can't be in a relationship, its against protocol'. I knew he was wrong though. Do you wanna know how I knew?" Skye gloated. The other girl just rolled her eyes towards her and raised one eyebrow slightly. She couldn't hide the slight smile tugging at her lips at her friend's glee.

"Because you two are totally in sync. I mean, it's like you can read each others mind or something. That is the kind of relationship you can only have with someone you've had sex with…" The hacker explained. Jemma felt her entire face go hot. She was utterly flustered.

"Fitz and I did not have sex that night!" She spluttered, determined to stop her friend's over- imaginative mind.

"And besides, you're wrong. We were plenty in sync with each other before our relationship became physical-" Jemma stopped speaking suddenly. Unfortunately, once something's been said, it cannot be 'unsaid'.

"You and Fitz have gotten _physical _? Oh my god, Simmons! That is so unbelievably cute. You really are, like, a proper couple… Have you ever done it on the bus?" She inquired the last part in a gossiping tone.

Simmons' now cool face began to heat up with a fresh blush.

"No we never did _it _on the bus. Besides, right now me and Fitz aren't a couple. We haven't been together like that for a long time." She said a bit wistfully. She looked at the man lying in front of her and wished that wasn't true. _There are a million things I would change, but the way we ended would be the first._ The rational part of her brain told her that them being a couple probably wouldn't have changed any this situation. _We might still have gotten the BUS job. Ward would have still been a traitor. Fitz would have still given me the breath. That's just who he is…_

_But at least he would have known I loved him. That I loved him _**_the whole damn time_**_. At least it wouldn't be a crestfallen look I have engrained in my mind after insisting on BEST FRIENDS. Even as we were going to die, I couldn't tell him he was more to me too… _

"Yeah, right… I just got a bit carried away. I forgot that you guys have been through some other stuff too…"

"It's alright Skye, it's a perfectly fair assumption to have made. I feel like in an alternate universe, we wouldn't have broken up…"

"In that universe is Ward still a dick?" Skye joked, but with a touch of hurt showing through.

"It's had to tell" The shorter girl tried to joke back.

"I think I'm just so invested in the story, you know? So tell me, why did you guys stop being a couple?" Skye decided to change the subject from her traitor former flame.

"tut tut tut. I can't tell you that now can I? I haven't even told you how we became a couple yet" Jemma teased.

Skye took advantage of the lightened mood. "It's obvious: you guys talk about the kiss, decide it was _amazing _and then start to romance it up. I'm totally right aren't I?"

"Actually, not this time…" She was about to continue, but Skye cut her off.

"I'm sorry Simmons but I have to ask… was Fitz your first kiss?" She asked, leaning a little closer into her friend, as though other people might be listening. This, of course, was not the case, as Skye had turned off the audio on the security cameras in the room, and the only other person in there was a comatose Fitz (who ironically already knows the answer..)

"You are quite nosey, you know. As a matter of a fact yes he was. And I was his" She couldn't ignore the grin that spread on Skye face at that news. Instead of responding, she continued the story.

_November 1st 2008_

Fitz awoke to a tangle of limbs and bedsheets, and an unfamiliar warmth on his left side. Blinking his eyes to adjust to the light streaming in from his half open curtains, he spied the sleeping form that was responsible for the legs and the warmth. Jemma lay curled up next to him, still sleeping deeply. After catching sight of her, Fitz refrained from jumping or moving away, as he did not want to wake her. Instead, he turned his head slightly to check the time.

12.30pm

They'd slept for about 6 hours. Not terrible, but Fitz was sure he'd feel the lack of sleep more and more as the day progressed. Realising that it was now an appropriate time to call his mother before her morning shift, he carefully removed himself from this lab partner. He tried to sit up quietly, but was unable to stifle a grown. Luckily, she slept deeply. _Bloody hell, my head feels like its going to explode. _He thought, as he grabbed his nightstand to ground himself. _I just need to make it to the bathroom, so I can call my mam without waking Simmons…_This task was easier said than done.

After grabbing his phone and having his vision fade out about six times, causing him to almost fall backwards and pass out, he made it to his destination. Closing the door, he put the toilet seat down and dialled the familiar number.

RING…RING…

"Happy Birthday pet, I was hoping you'd call." Fitz hissed at her cheery tone. _I might have to open the toilet seat asap, or try my best to aim for the sink…_

"Hi mam." He croaked. Apparently amidst his other symptoms, a loss of the ability to speak had been forgotten.

"Ay, Leo, ye sound rough lad. Ye ain't been out las' night, 'ave ye? His mum chuckled at her son's hungover state.

"Actually, I went to a party last night. It being halloween and all…" He confessed. It was no use trying to lie to his mum, she could always see right through him.

"Yer dirty stop out! Hope ye made Glesgae proud bairn." She couldn't help but feel happy that he had finally made enough friends to go to a party.

"Well, I dinnae about that mam. But I certainly had a good time…" He thought back to her outfit, and the dancing, and the kiss…

"That's wha' I like to here. Even if yer ain't suppose to be drinking out there. Don't make a habit of it will ye? Was that nice lass there, Jemma?"

"Yeah, Jemma was there. And some other people from our classes" He blew it off, not wanting to tell his mum too much when he wasn't really sure what their relationship was himself.

"And I won't make a habit. I don't think I think I'll ever drink again…" He vowed. His mum out and out laughed at this.

"Ay lad, tha's what ye say. Until the next time ye go out" She smiled fondly.

"Maybe… Oh, I got the present by the way. Thank you for the sweater, I really like it. I don't have any other green ones."

"I know Leo. Yer wardrobes so drab and grey, I though it'd be nice to add some colour." She added happily, glad that her son like his present. This was the third Birthday in a row she hadn't seen him. The first two being during his time at MIT. She missed the way things used to be.

"Its perfect mam. I wish you could be here today" He said honestly. Fitz loved his mother more than anyone in the world. The two of them were his entire family. _Just me and my mam, like always. _Except it wasn't, because a beautiful brunette girl had snuck into his life. Now he was questioning everything.

"I wish I was too love. I have to go to work now, but I hope you have a wonderful day. A bit of lemon juice in a huge mug of tea should help that headache" His mum told him

"Thanks mam. I love you"

"Love you too Leo. We'll speak soon" And with that she hung up the phone. Fitz sat there for a moment. _I should see if Simmons is up yet. _And then forgetting his hangover, stood up much too quickly. He was barely able to open the toilet seat before he threw up.

Simmons awoke to a splitting headache, an unfamiliar bed and the sound of someone vomiting. She sat up quickly, barely having enough time to assess the room and pray nothing useful was in his waste paper bin before emptying the contents of her stomach. _I am NEVER drinking again. I feel as though I might die… _She continued to be sick for a few minutes before finishing. She was now holding the most disgusting waste paper bin known to man. _Oh god! What am I going to do with this? _She internally cursed. Seeing that it was made of wicker and was probably beyond saving, she decided to take it out to the dumpster.

Simmons eyed a roll of black bin bags under his desk. Feeling slightly better after her previous 'activity', she decided to take the bin bag now holding the disgusting bin out now, before it stank up the room. She grabbed one of his pairs of jogging bottoms- _I cannot face putting those shorts back on! _- tightened the waistband and headed out.

Between being sick himself, Fitz heard that Simmons was now very much awake, and feeling just as ill as he was. Feeling that he had nothing left to throw up, and like his head wasn't going to crack in two with every movement, he plucked up the strength to exit the bathroom.

When he returned, he was surprised to find the room empty. The unmade bed lay inform of him. _She's gone… She must've been so ashamed that she left. Oh god, I knew all along nothing good could come from this party. Now she's probably so embarrassed, things between you will be awkward. So awkward she'll eventually ask to switch seats, and partners, and you'll stop being friends. She even left her clothes here! She really must've been in a rush._

Fitz collapsed back on his bed, no longer seeing a reason to be up. He lay there for a while, wallowing in self pity before the door to his room started to open.

Thankfully she made it all the way down and back up without encountering anyone. The hardest part had been getting to the dumpster and back without the door closing and locking her out. She managed to strategically use an umbrella someone had left by the door to wedge it open.

When she opened his door, she saw Fitz lying on his bed, hands over his eyes muttering to himself. _He must feel really hungover too. I suppose thats what we get for going so hard on our first night drinking…_

What surprised her was that upon her entry, he sat up almost in fright. _Surely he was expecting me to be back in a minute…_

"Simmons?" He asked, baffled that she was again in his room.

"Fitz?" She questioned back, unsure why his was even a question.

"I thought you'd gone." He mumbled, running a hand through his curls, causing them to become even more dishevelled.

"Why would I do that? I don't even have my clothes." She was really confused now.

"Thought you'd left in a hurry. Maybe that you were… you know embarrassed… or something…" The engineer stuttered. He couldn't make eye contact.

_Why would I be embarrassed? Oh. The kiss. Should I be embarrassed about that? Did he not want that to happen. _Realising that now was not the time for internal debates, she instead chose to sit on the bed next to him and rest her head on his shoulders. _This can be a platonic gesture… if thats what he wants… _

She made her confession to break the tension. "I was sick in your bin. It was so revolting, I took it out to the dumpster. I can buy you a new one is you like." The seriousness in her voice made him smile, then laugh, then before then knew it, they were both in hysterics.

"You threw up in a bin?! Jemma Simmons, I didn't take you for such a party girl" He teased.

"I don't think you were so fine yourself Mr High and Mighty. I seem to remember hearing some pretty foul noises coming from the bathroom as I woke up…" She nudged him in the side with her elbow. He blushed furiously.

"Alright, we're even! We're both lightweights…" He declared

"Agreed. Is it weird that I'm really hungry?" She shot him and questioning glance, eyebrows slightly raised.

"I don't think so. I could definitely eat something. Do you want to head down to the canteen?" He asked, but the look on her face spoke a thousand words.

"No, I don't think I could face another outing. Maybe for dinner. Do you not have any food here? Jemma's look switched from questioning to slightly pouty. She really didn't want to have to leave the room the get food.

"I have tea and biscuits…" he offer, cursing himself for not taking the time to buy more food. Especially after last time she'd been round and they had to go 8 hours without anything because studying took priority over going to the canteen.

"Oh how British" She mocked. "Sounds wonderful"

"My mum says lemon in tea should cure a hangover." He felt mature to impart this knowledge on someone.

"You have lemon juice?" Instantly she poked a hole through his maturity.

"Well, no… But I have a bit of cloudy lemonade… I could add that"

"I suppose that could work. Only add a tiny bit to mine though, I don't want to be sick again" She joked. _It's quite cute that he's trying. _She smiled to herself.

"Coming right up your highness" He joked back.

A few minutes later he joined her on the bed with two mugs of tea and a tube of biscuits. They lay back comfortably, just slightly resting against each other, and started up from where they'd left off with Doctor Who. By some miracle (or Fitz's mum really knew what she was talking about with the tea) by about six thirty, they felt relatively fine.

They went down to get some dinner at about 7. By this point both scientists were starving and graciously welcomed the stodgy canteen food. Fitz even had a slice of chocolate cake to 'celebrate his birthday'. They were now both finishing up.

"Sorry it's been such a wasted birthday Fitz. I mean, you didn't even get a proper birthday cake!" Simmons apologised, feeling as though their 'sick day' had not been the best way to spend a birthday.

"Really Simmons, this has been a great birthday. I mean, it would have been better if we hadn't both thrown up this morning…" she blushed. "No, I just mean… Spending the day watching Doctor Who and sitting with you… Well that sounds like a perfect day to me." Her blush deepened.

"Thank you Fitz. I just feel that I had something to live up to, you know, with this being the first birthday we spend together." _First? That implies of many. I really hope she meant to imply that we'll spend more birthdays together… _he thought.

"And you did live up to it. I mean, the party last night was great! Besides, 19 is not a particularly important birthday. I'm sure you've had your share of average birthdays… Not that this was _average_… just that…" He really hadn't meant this was average. In fact, spending a whole day with Simmons was his ideal way to spend a day. He wanted every birthday for the rest of his life to be spent _exactly _like this one. Luckily before he dug himself any deeper into a hole, she cut him off. Little did he know, bad birthdays were her forte.

"My 18th." she stated simply.

"What?" He hadn't imagined her to actually agree with him. Families were a topic that they rarely discussed, although judging by her posture, well spoken accent and general presentation, he had assumed hers was wealthy and middle class. _Not the kind of family that celebrates with a lone cupcake before the mum has to go out and work a shift. Not like mine…_

"Well, I've had plenty of bad birthdays, but my 18th was probably the worst". She elaborated. His eyes urged her to go on.

"For a start, neither of my parents were there. I mean, the last time they were both present on my birthday was my 14th, but I've never had neither of them there. Then there was the fact that it was the day I had to come here, so I spent the day on a flight that I had to wake up in the middle of the night to catch…"

"You had your 18th on the day you flew here? So you must be quite late in the academic year then?"

She grinned. "August 31st at 11.59pm. I'm quite literally the youngest you can be to still get into our school year. Not that that mattered after I skipped so many years anyway."

The topic of families had never been discussed before. Now that she seemed so open, he wanted to take the opportunity to find out more. _More about her. Where she came from, her childhood. Was it as hard as mine?_

"So do your parents work a lot then?" He asked. Her response was to openly laugh out loud. Not her usual genuine, wind chime laugh, but a darker almost hurt one.

"My dad works for a phone company in France, and my mum's a resident at a hospital. Well, she just completed her paediatric fellowship actually, so her hours are more normal now. I mean, I assume they are, I haven't spoken to her in well over a month. She was always on call when I was a child though" She replied bluntly. _Over a month? So that means she probably hasn't spoken to her parents since the bathroom incident. Do they even know?_

Of course he said none of this aloud, instead opting with "that must have been hard for you?"

"It was, I always dreamed, and wished, and _prayed… _(she laughed again, the same hurt and betrayed one as before) that they'd spend time with me more. This thing is, they love me. And I love them. I know that. When they're around, everything is perfect… They're the best parents in the world. I think thats why it hurts so much when they're not." She shook her head, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry…"

"Not, you weren't. I want to tell you this, everything. And I want you to do the same." She shot him a watery smile. He put his arm around her.

"Alright, but lets go, yeah? Don't need everyone in the academy wondering what we're talking about."

"Okay, but can we go to my dorm? I still have your present to give you."

At this he shot her a winning grin. _Of course you can give me my present! I may be 19 but its okay to still be excited to get presents right? Especially when they're from my new/first best friend._

The walk up to her dorm was a comfortable silence. The tear had long since dried, but he kept his arm around her, keeping her grounded. She was thankful for this.

When they sat on her bed, the silent agreement was made that the present could wait. _There are more pressing things to discuss. And if she brings it up, you have to come clean…_

"So do you have any siblings then?" He broke the silence. The topic of her parents was still raw. He'd already been told enough about them for now…

"Yes! I have four sisters. Lets see, Heidi is 6 now, almost 7. Rose and Ellie are… just turned 3. And then there's Maggie. She's about 18 months." The emotion she had spoken about her parents with was a mixture of love and anger. For her sisters it was undiluted, pure love.

"Much younger than you" he mused.

"Yeah. It meant that I didn't really have anyone to play with when I was growing up, but it's good they're so close together. Mum and dad wanted a big family, but they couldn't conceive. They had me on their second round of IVF. When I was about ten, my mum got access to a trial fertility drug. A little less than a year later, Heidi was born, and then all the rest." She smiled. Clearly Jemma was not one of those children that resented siblings coming later in her life, but relished it.

"What about you Fitz. I mean, I've spoken to your mum, but who else fits on the Fitz family tree?" Jemma wasn't just asking to be polite. She honestly wanted a better insight into his past. Fitz could see that, and decided to be honest with her.

"Don't be too shocked, or laugh or anything. I don't exactly have the nuclear family you do…" When he looked at her face, he knew she'd never laugh. Not at something like this, not at him. This gave him he courage to continue.

"My mum is an orphan. Her parents died in a car crash when she was 6. They had no immediate family, so she was sent into the Catholic girl's home. She grew up there and became a bit of a rebel. When she was thirteen, she started to sneak out into town at night. She always looked older than she was, I guess I don't take after her too much… (He smiled at his partner and she nodded in agreement. But she knew that the joke was awkward, trying to calm the mood before the climax)

Well she wanted money for herself. By that age, she knew she wouldn't get adopted. She made money the only way she knew how…" His voice tailed off. Jemma tilted her head in mild confusion. She wasn't exactly sure what he was implying.

"Basically, that landed her with me at 15." It hit Jemma like a tonne of bricks. _Fitz's mum was a prostitute?! _She was shocked, but after the events of middle September, she knew what it was to be caught in an impossible situation. _She did what she thought she had to do, just like I did._

Fitz was surprised by the amount of understanding in the girls face. She nodded at him to continue, so he did.

"My dad was some older business man, my mum never told him. After she found out, one of the nicer nuns that worked the orphanage helped her get a council flat. She moved in there and had me. After that she vowed to make money more… legally I guess. She didn't have GCSEs or anything, but she became a waitress. She still has that job now. It's just me and my mum, but we've always got by just fine."

Jemma pulled him into a tight hug. This took the engineer a bit by surprise, but he didn't question it. He just hugged her back until she started to pull away. She gazed directly into his eyes.

"Thank you for telling me that. I know it must have been hard for you." She whispered.

"I'd tell you anything" He replied. _Liar! you won't tell her about _**_that _**_day. You keep not telling her and it gets worse and worse. _He shook his head to silence the internal voice.

She smiled and nodded, silently saying that she felt the same way. She then moved to her desk draw and pulled out two impeccably wrapped packages. One was about the size of his palm, the other clearly a book. Both were surrounded in pale blue paper, with a lime green ribbon. _Is there anything Jemma Simmons can't do flawlessly? _He laughed to himself. She also produced a card, which she gave him first.

He carefully opened the envelop. The front of the card was simple. The words 'Happy Birthday' across the top, and a rainbow bunch of balloons underneath. Inside he recognised her writing. Messy but beautiful. A sort of Edwardian love letter scrawl that only he and a select few others could actually decipher.

_To Fitz,_

_Have an amazing 19th Birthday! You are truly one of the most brilliant people I've ever known (as if I have to tell you…)_

_Thank you for being such a wonderful friend! You've made the last month one of the best of my life, and I hope that you're there to make every month for the rest of my life just as perfect._

_Love Jemma Simmons_

_P.s. Sorry if that was too sappy…_

Across from this was a picture of the two of them grinning together, holding the Super Vacuum 800.

"Wow, thanks Jemma…" His voice savoured the taste of her name. She smiled at the sincerity of it.

"Where did you get this picture?" Fitz questioned, amused.

"Well, I actually heard some people talking about it in my biochem lecture. They were pointing at me and asking if I was the girl in the picture. As it turns out, since our design was a 'break through' (she said the last two words in air quotes, causing Fitz to chuckle) our picture was put into the Shield email blast. We obviously don't receive that, as only proper agents do. One of the girls in my lecture is dating an actual agent, so that how she saw it. Then I did some digging, found out that they print a paper copy of the newsletter for all the facility libraries, went to ours, cut it out and voilá…" She smiled at her achievement.

"Wait, you stole this from the library? That's not the Jemma Simmons I know…" He shook his head disapprovingly, even though he was clearly amused.

"Not stole. I just used carbon fibre scissors to cut it out to the nearest micrometer, the photocopied it, kept the colour copy and placed the scale replica black and white photo back in the news letter, using untraceable bio-glue."

"Now _that's _the Jemma I know. Using her crazy genius to commit perfect crimes."

"There is not such thing as the perfect crime. And besides, its the first photo we've ever taken together, its only right we should get a copy."

"There would be if you committed crimes… and I suppose you're right. Thank you for risking getting a criminal record for me. I really do like the photo"

She swatted him on the arm.

"I did nothing wrong" She insisted. "Now do you want to open your presents or not?!" She held them out of reach playfully.

"I would like to open them thank you…" She shook her head and gave him the larger on first.

He wanted to unwrap them as carefully as they had been wrapped, but Fitz just wasn't that kind of person. Instead he torn off the paper excitedly.

"Careful you tasmanian devil, you might ruin the gift!" She mock scolded. Really, Jemma didn't mind the paper tearing. She was just as excited as he was to see if she'd chosen good gifts.

The first was a cloth bound hard cover of Dracula. It was one of Jemma's favourite books (behind Harry Potter, anything Jane Austen or the Bronte sisters and a few others) and she'd been shocked to hear he'd never read it. He claimed to 'not be into that whole vampires thing' and she insisted this was different. She'd bought him the exact same cover she had.

"Dracula? Thanks! This cover is amazing. I'll read it over the Christmas break and see if its as good as you make it out to be" He gave her a genuine smile. _The first gift seemed to go down quite well. Good, because here's the real creme de la creme…"_

He opened the second gift a little more carefully, not wanting to receive another telling off, even though he knew the first was a joke. Inside was a small black box. For one terrible moment, he thought it was a massive joke and it was jewellery. He was gobsmacked when he opened it.

Inside was a keyring. A perfect miniature model of the _Tardis_ made of light weight metal.

"Open it" She whispered with a smile.

He gave her a slightly confused look, but quickly found the small latch on the tiny door. When he opened it he almost stopped breathing. A combination of minuscule paintings, mirrors and light illusions made the inside of the _Tardis _look as though it went back almost a metre instead of the actual centimetre or two, and was in full detail. There was a tiny 3D doctor inside, and the interior was furnished by the illusion.

Fitz had been sitting silent for more than a few minutes, so Jemma hesitantly asked: "Is it okay, do you like it?"

Fitz was lost for words.

"It is perfect. This is the coolest, most amazing thing I've ever seen! It's certainly the best present I've ever gotten. I just… where did you get it?"

Jemma grinned like the cheshire cat. "I found a shop on the internet that specialises in Doctor Who memorabilia. I figured it was a good gift for you, being such a fan of the show. But when it came I did have too make a few _adjustments _to the illusion inside…" _Of course she did. Of course she used her vast knowledge of everything to make the perfect gift. How can I be so lucky to have someone like her in my life?_

"Thank you Jemma. These gifts are… They're perfect. Thank you so much…" He hugged her tightly.

"I can't wait to show these to my mum, she won't be able to believe it!" Jemma couldn't wipe the smile off her face. She did, however, feel her eyelids dropping.

"Are you as tired as I am?" He asked fondly. She shook her head, stifling a yawn.

"I'm going to go now Simmons, we have some serious sleep to catch up on…"

"But its your birthday, and its only 9.30!"

"Yeah, but you look like you're about to collapse suddenly, and I feel the same. And don't worry, this birthday's already been my best one ever…" He put is hand on the back of his neck, embarrassed. She was so tired, she didn't see.

"You must've had some crappy birthdays then…" She quipped, although her tone was sleepy, not witty.

"Goodnight Simmons" He whispered, closing the door behind him. He heard the heavy breathing of her sleep behind him.

So the kiss they had shared (which had been both of their firsts) had been somewhat forgotten in the sickness and excitement of his birthday.

They met for breakfast the next day, and then spent the day on the field, talking and relaxing. They had settled into a comfortable place somewhere more than friends. They were now completely at ease with each other.

Winter finals approached, and began working harder and longer. It was not uncommon during these weeks for them to share a bed, as they often worked until they collapsed with exhaustion in the small hours of the night.

They got their results back and were surprised (ish) to see that they had aced all of their classes. In fact, by coincidence, the both had an average of 98.3%

This, however, sparked some long forgotten jealously in Lili, causing her to do something that would change the dynamic of Fitzsimmons once again…

**So there it is. My last chapter for a while. I wrote the birthday present giving and had FitzSimmons have a heart to heart so I'm hoping that should tide you guys over till I next post.**

**For the record, the TARDIS keychain definitely does not (nor could it) exist. Not that I know of anyway. **

**On the other hand, the cloth bound classics very much ****_do _****exist. I have the Dracula one and the Picture of Dorian Grey. The whole range is stunning.**

**Thank you for reading and please leave a review. I really appreciate them. **

**Sorry again for making this story take a break.**

**Doubly sorry for ending on a cliff hanger :P**


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